


Georgeous Carat: YGO Version

by Lsama_no_miko



Category: Gorgeous Carat (Manga), Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-01
Updated: 2018-03-01
Packaged: 2019-03-25 12:20:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 21
Words: 60,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13834167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lsama_no_miko/pseuds/Lsama_no_miko
Summary: Basically a retelling of You Higuri’s lovely manga with the YGO cast. ShounenAi





	1. Chapter 1: Flame of Magar, Part 1

            It is the early twentieth century, Paris, France. The future city of lights is besieged by one man, an ingenious phantom thief known only as ‘Noir’. No one knows who he is. None have been able to capture him. Until he came across a very special ‘amethyst’ that is.

 

**********************************************************

 

            “Eeek!!!!!” cried one of the partygoers as she brushed her hand over her now bare neck. “My necklace’s gone!!”

            There was an echoing scream as another of the women found herself in a similar situation. “Mine is too!” she cried.

            Outside, a dark figure in a cape laughed to himself as he fled over the Paris rooftops, his long white hair whipping behind him. “There he is!” shouted one of the gendarmes chasing him. “It’s the phantom thief Noir! Get him! Don’t let him get away!”

            “Che! Fools,” the thief muttered, smirking all the way home. Not in a million years had they ever been able to catch him, nor will they ever be.

 

******************************************************

 

            The next day, a young white haired man sat lounging on his best arm chair, a ruby and diamond studded necklace dangled from his slender fingers. “Beauty and the devil do indeed go together,” he said admiring his latest ‘find’. “I have no interest things that suffer a tragic fate. Like diamonds – the more beautiful the stone, the more soaked with blood it is – a icy cold light that grows even more brilliant each time it steals a person’s soul.”

 

********************************************************

 

Meanwhile… somewhere in the Parisian countryside…

            “Hoo boy!!” yelled one of the workers as he helped his friends move various pieces of furniture from the enormous mansion. “Check this baby out!” He whistled appreciatively at the ornate carving on the heavy velvet upholstered couch. “This is from when Louis the fourteenth was king!”

            “Well, duh!” said his partner. “They are nobles none of those nouveau riche fools.”

            “Get back to work you idiots!” shouted the foreman, “You’re not paid to yap!”

            “Sorry boss!” apologized the first worker.

            “If that’s all, Madame,” the foreman said, addressing a woman in about her mid thirties, though she looked much older due to the hard times her family had now fallen into. “I’ll deposit the money from the sales in your usual account.”

            The lady of the house ignored the sobbing brunette serving girl behind her. She was used to such sights now. “Yes. That is all for now, Monsieur Caper,” she said dismissing him.

            “How can you be so calm about this Madame?!” sobbed the maid, Anzu, “Years of Mutou history pawed by such rough hands!”

            Madame Mutou remained silent. It would be bad form to let these peasants see the pain her heart was feeling. “Always a pleasure, Madame,” Caper said, bowing mockingly as he followed his man out of the mansion. He gave out a chuckle. “These rich fools hang on to everything out of pride only to suffer for it in the long run. Oh well, who cares, as long as I get paid.”

            Once the vile men were out of sight and earshot, Madame Mutou broke down into tears, slumping into one of the few remaining chairs. “How did we come to this!” she moaned, placing her head in her hands. “We Mutous are descended from the Bourbon royal family line! To imagine, such a noble family forced to sell of all our ancestral heirlooms to a bunch of money hungry peasants!”

“Mother,” said a boy with red, black, and gold hair entering the salon. Though he looked no more than thirteen, he was much older. He was twenty almost a complete man. “Monsieur Caper was here wasn’t he? Is that why you’re crying?”

            “My sweet Yugi,” she said, drawing her son into a fierce embrace. “It’s nothing you should worry about. You look even more like your father each and every day, with that hair and those rich amethyst eyes of yours. Ah, if only he were still here.”

            “Don’t give up, maman (Mom). I’ll find a job and then…”

            “Yugi!” she cried, a look of sheer horror on her face. “ **Don’t**  you ever suggest such a disgusting thing again!”

            “But maman!”

            “I’d rather embrace La Guillotine than have my son labor like a commoner! You’re of noble blood Yugi! We Mutous almost had everything taken from us during that horrid Paris Commune! That’s what killed your father! He died of a broken heart! How can you be so cruel to your own mother?!”

            She shivered as she remembered those harrowing days. They had lost the war against Prussia and the cowards in the government fled the country, leaving the peasants of Paris to form their own government. To her the mere thought of lowlifes making the laws was something akin to finding maggots in your meal.

            “I’ll never accept this new age of peasants! Our ancient and noble pride demands that we refuse to submit to the likes of them!”

            “Then what should we do maman?! We can’t live in the past forever! The money we have left won’t last much longer!”

“Enough Yugi!” she demanded. “All this has tired me out. I’m going to take a nap.”

            “Maman!” the boy called, not about to give up the fight that easily. “If that’s how you feel, then why not sell off that 120 carat diamond? Sell our greatest treasure, the ‘Flamme de Magar!’”

There was the echoing sound of silk covered flesh meeting bare skin. Yugi barely flinched, having been chastised like that before – he had of late been trying to get her to see reason, but she wouldn’t have any of it. “How many times must I tell you…  **NEVER** spout such filth again!”

            “I’m sorry, maman,” he said heading for the door.

            “Yugi,” she called, forcing him to pause. “I’m having a dinner party tomorrow. These peasants MUST know that we Mutous are still strong. You will be there as well.” That last wasn’t a question. It was an order. “Wear that white military uniform of yours.” The boy let out a saddened sigh.

            “Yes, maman,” he said woodenly. ‘If only she’d see reason for once,’ he muttered to himself.

“Master Yugi, what’s the matter?” Anzu asked as the ‘head’ of the Mutou family headed for his own suite of rooms.

            “I’ve become really lazy haven’t I?” he replied more to himself than the maid he’d practically grown up with. The brunette stared after him, her heart saddened greatly for her childhood friend.

 

******************************************************

 

            The next evening, one of the newfangled automobiles approached the Mutou mansion, its tires squeaking loudly as it came to a halt by the front doors. A tan skinned boy with pale golden hair in Arabic clothing gazed in awe at the sheer size of the estate and let out a loud whistle.

            “This place is awesome, ain’t it Noir?!” he asked his white haired companion.

            “Not so loud, Malik,” he reprimanded, “I’m supposed to be Bakura. Bakura Akefia Courland.”

The blond Egyptian pouted. “That name’s too long for you. I think Noir suits you better,” he said attempting to snuggle closer to the handsome man. “As hot as you are in that get up, don’t you think it’ll make you stand out too much?”

            “Nah,” replied Noir. “I’m not ‘working’ today. Now be a good boy and wait like a good little servant.” He then patted Malik’s soft desert colored hair and stepped from the car, his blood red robe sweeping dramatically revealing tight fitting black pants and a loose white shirt that was open slightly to show off the barest hint of a muscular chest.

“Idiot,” Malik spat good naturedly before settling down again to wait.

 

*********************************************************

 

            Meanwhile, Yugi stood in a corner, frowning at the foolish aristocracy as they partied into the night. ‘Candles flickering, champagne glasses clinking, couples whirling as they dance, the stench of perfume,’ he mused as he continued to stare off into space. ‘The refusal to stop living in the past, hanging onto the memory of luxury past. They believe owning land and fancy things will give them the security they so crave. This can’t go on… but maman has to. There’s nothing left to support her now except her pride.’ The white clad boy sighed deeply.

            Suddenly he looked up at the increased murmuring of the guests.

            “What the?!” said one of the many faceless men.

            “Who is  _that_?!” cried another.

            “Oh!” gasped some woman.

            Yugi’s amethyst eyes widened at the sound of footsteps on the now cracked tile floor. In strode a white haired man in the dress of Arabic royalty. There were many cries of shock and gasps of awe from the noble women. This stranger was rather handsome.

‘What’s an Arab doing here?’ Yugi asked. ‘I don’t remember maman knowing anyone like that.’

“Oh! If it isn’t Le Comte Courland!” beamed one of the many women, “You’re quite exotic looking today if I may say so.”

            “Ha! Ha!” laughed one of the men. “A rather droll joke sir. You really had us surprised.”

            The count barely contained the sneer threatening to appear on his face. How he despised these pathetic fools. “No joke I assure you,” he spoke coolly. “This is my formal wear, now if you’ll pardon me.” He then stalked off.

            Yugi quickly ducked behind a curtain, for once thanking his rather petit stature. However, the movement had caught the stranger’s eyes. He yanked the smaller boy from behind the drapery and narrowed his reddish brown eyes as he stared intently at the youth before him.

‘W-What’s with him?!’ Yugi pondered, desperately trying to calm his now hammering heart. ‘He… He’s just staring at my face.’ He gasped as the much taller man gingerly cupped his cheek. Not one to let this odd man molest him in front of everyone, he did the only thing he could think of. He slapped him. Hard.

            “W-Who are you? That you act so rudely!” the boy demanded.

            The count let out a chuckle as he rubbed his now red cheek. “Quite the feisty one aren’t you?” he said smirking as he continued to stare at the boy’s lovely face. “Forgive me. Your amethysts were so beautiful I had to see if they were really your eyes or gems made to resemble eyes.” Yugi’s face flushed a brilliant scarlet at the compliment as well as with anger at being handled so roughly. “I’m very found of rare jewels, you know.”

            Before Yugi could spout anymore insults at this man, the white haired count stalked off into the crowd of revelers. The amethyst eyed boy couldn’t help but stick his tongue out at the retreating back in a fit of childish behavior. “My eyes aren’t jewels!” he spat back, as he tugged one lower eyelid down.

“I bet you’re thinking is he really related to me, even if he’s a distant cousin?” said a blond man coming over to him.

“Ahh! Don’t scare me like that Uncle Keith!” cried the startled youth. “Wait! That man’s a relative?!”

“Sure is petit. You wouldn’t know about him ‘cause he’s been in Casablanca all this time. I’ve heard that his father’s an Arab. It’s a shame someone as pure as you had to meet someone like him,” the man spat, glaring at the white haired man as he mingled and flirted with several of the women.

“Uncle, why did maman invite him?”

“That’s easy. He’s the richest guy around. Tho’ there’ve been rumors that he’s a rather nasty loan shark.”

“A-A loan shark?!” Yugi gasped in horror.

“I hate to say it petit, but there ain’t a thing here that can’t be turned into money, except  _that_. It looks like my sister may have finally made up her stubborn mind.”

            “Yugi!” called Madame Mutou, their mysterious white haired relative standing next to her.

“There’s no way, Uncle. She values that diamond more than the anything in this world, even the king.”

The blond man was silent for a moment. “You know,” he said placing a meaty hand on the boy’s slender shoulder, “You can always count on me if things get too much for you. Times haven’t exactly been good for you have they?”

            “T-Thanks Uncle,” he said going over to his mother.

“’You can always count on me’,” mocked a black haired woman coming up to him. “What a load of bull Keith. You’re up to your eyeballs in gambling debts.”

            “Shut it before I do, Vivian!” he snapped back before stalking off, his manly pride wounded.

 

******************************************************

 

            About an hour later, Malik was still waiting in the car, on the verge of falling asleep out of sheer boredom. He gave out an enormous yawn, closing his eyes as he stretched his tired limbs. When he opened them again, he gasped in surprise as an ornate necklace was dangled before him.

            “Is that… a blue diamond?!” he asked in awe. “But I thought you said you weren’t working today.”

Outside, Malik yawns broadly in the car. Before her eyes, a ruby necklace suddenly appears.

Noir chuckled. “Force of habit,” he said letting the Egyptian take the jewel. “You can think of it as an apology for making you wait.” Malik blushed profusely. It was a very rare moment when the white haired thief apologized at all.

            “Let’s go Malik,” Noir said, climbing into the driver’s seat. “What I’m looking for isn’t in there.”

“You mean the intel was false?”

            “Nah. They’re hiding somewhere. Even a blind man could rob this joint.”

“Why not let Rishid check the info this time? You’re awfully excited, Noir. I bet’s it’s ‘cause of that 120 carat diamond right?!”

“Calm down Malik,” chided the thief as they drove off. “But you’re right to some extent. Pebbles don’t turn me on – it’s no fun breaking my back over them. Besides, I found some  _very_  interesting jewels.”

            “ _Very_  interesting jewels?” parroted his blond partner.

            “Two lovely amethysts,” he replied wistfully, “They’re like nothing I’ve ever seen.” ‘I’ve got to make those snooty, fiery amethyst eyes mine,’ he vowed, ‘Mine and mine alone.’

 

******************************************************

 

            The next day, Noir decided to pay a visit to the Mutous. This time he was dressed in a tailored black suit and a red dress shirt underneath the jacket. “Are you sure you don’t have anything else you can use for collateral?” he asked sitting in a plush armchair.

            “I’m afraid not,” Madame Mutou replied, “That’s why as I’m asking you as a relative… you’ll be paid of course. We have money from the national loans…”

            “Madame Mutou, I care very little where your money comes from. A simple I.O.U. should do.”

            “Look at him,’ huffed Yugi, ‘He’s certainly full of himself. As if that outfit of his yesterday were bad enough. Just looking at him makes me sick.’

“Even so, how will…?”

“I always carry a few checks with me. Just write what you want and the bank’ll take care of the rest.” He said dangling a few slips of paper before her.

            “Oh my!” cried the shocked woman.

            However, the white haired man quickly snatched the checks away before she could grab them. “In return… I’ll take your son as collateral,” he said glancing slyly at the now shocked boy.

            “W-What?!” he stammered.

“What… What makes you think I’d accept such an outlandish request?!” Yugi’s mother asked incredulously.

“Whether you accept or not is no concern of mine,” Noir said coolly, “I’m not the one who needs money am I?”

The lady of the house was now extremely pale. “I think you should leave. Anzu will show you to the door.”

“Maman!” Yugi shouted as he caught her as she began to sway on her feet and helped her into one of the few remaining chairs.

“There may be another way,” began Noir, “I’ve heard rumors of a 120 carat gem belonging to the royal family – that it’s somewhere in your family.” Madame Mutou frowned, trembling even more now. “Or is it too much for you to part with Madame. Actually it doesn’t matter which I get. So which do you value more your vain brat of a son or some hunk of rock?”

“STOP THIS!!!” shouted Yugi, snatching the checks and slamming them onto the table between them. “WE DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ANY JEWELS! I-I’ll go,” he whispered softly. “Name your price, Bakura Akefia Courland!”

            The white haired man stared at the angry teen intently before giving them a wry smile. “It seems we have a deal,” he said rising from his seat.

            Madame Mutou stared at her only son, too shocked to move or speak. She silently pleaded with him to reconsider, but the spiky haired boy would not budge from his decision. He quickly gave his mother a fierce hug, but was yanked away by Noir a few scant seconds later.

            “Yugi…” she murmured before sobbing bitterly.

 

****************************************************************

 

            Later that night, Noir sat at the dinner table, brooding that one place remained empty. “Why won’t he eat?!” the white haired man queried, ignoring the storm raging outside.

“Ever since you brought him here, he refuses to leave his room,” said a bald man with tattoos on one side of his face, “Even though you’ve done nothing but show him kindness, master Bakura.”

‘What does that brat think this is, “La Belle et Le Bête?!”’ he fumed.

            “Well, what did you expect, Noir?” Malik snapped jealously, “Those are living amethysts after all. Anyway, I think there’s something wrong with you too.”

            “You stay out of this!” he shouted, slamming his hand on the table as he abruptly rose from the table, startling everyone present.

            The irate thief stormed up the stairs and began to pound on the teen’s door. “Open this door you brat or I’ll force you to!” He started when the door unexpectedly opened at his bellowed command. Said brat stood and glared at him but the look soon turned to confusion at the man’s worried stare. There were dark circles under the boy’s eyes and they were red and puffy from obvious bouts of crying and his spiky hair looked even spikier due to the obvious lack of sleep.

            “Yugi,” he said as civilly as he could manage, “come and eat dinner. It’s not good for you not to eat or drink anything for two days.”

“I don’t want your charity!” he spat defiantly.

“Who said anything about charity,” Noir snarled, “That was an order.”

            Yugi replied by spitting in the taller man’s face. “I don’t take orders from peasants!”

            “It seems you’ve forgotten exactly what your place is here, petit,” Noir said wiping the spit off and smiling dangerously at the smaller teen. “Maybe I should remind you.” The boy was now more frightened of him than storm outside and he smirked at that.

            Before he could say anything, the much stronger man grabbed hold of his arm and dragged him throughout the house and into the cellar where he began to chain the now frightened boy to a pole. As scared as he was, Yugi refused to cry out as his jacket and shirt were promptly ripped from him.

             _CRACK!_

            The whip flew fast as the flashing lightning and struck the middle of Yugi’s now bare back. The amethyst eyed boy winced, but still refused to cry out. Malik trembled as he watched from his hiding spot. This was the first time he’d ever seen his friend hurt anyone out of sheer maliciousness and he began to pity the poor boy who he’d been jealous of only a few mere days before.

            The whipping continued until finally Yugi broke and let out a heart wrenching scream. Satisfied at having making the boy cry out, the white haired thief dropped the now bloody whip and released him from his chains. Yugi then fell face down onto the cold hard unforgiving floor.

            “If you weren’t so stubborn, I wouldn’t have to punish you like that,” Noir said with mock remorse, “You’d better get over yourself and fast if you want to survive in this age.”

            “Y-You bastard,” he said weakly, not bothering to attempt to get up – his back hurt too much. “W-What are you?!”

Noir smirked. “To your family I’m your cousin Bakura Akefia Courland. To everyone else, my name is ‘Noir’.

‘Noir?!’ he thought in surprise, ‘He’s… this monster’s that phantom thief everyone’s been talking about.’ “J-Just wait til I t-tell the gendarmes!” he spat threateningly.

“Please do,  _little_  Yugi. They’ll never be able to catch me nor will they ever. Chain him to the wall,” he said to the bald man as he came into the dungeon. Yugi tried to resist, but was much too weakened to even stand on his own.

            After making sure his prisoner was securely chained to the wall, Noir took out a knife and lifted the boy’s chin so they’d be eye-to-eye. “I’ll only ask this once brat. If you tell me the truth I won’t hurt you anymore. Now, where is ‘Le Flamme de Magar?’”

            Yugi refused to answer, instead he jerked his head away and shut his eyes as tight as he could. ‘Go ahead, kill me,’ he spat silently, ‘I’ll never tell the likes of you.’

            Smirking sadistically, the white haired thief began to slide the dagger across the boy’s chest causing droplets of red to appear wherever the blade had dug too deep into the skin.

“I’d really like to know where it is after chasing after it all this time. Now we all know it was last seen just before the revolution, but no one’s seen one glint of it anywhere afterwards. I’ve also heard that the Paris Commune government stormed your home. Why was that I wonder, perhaps to search for a certain shiny rock, hmm? So where are you stashing it brat?”

“I’ve no idea!” Yugi yelled defiantly.

“Well that’s too bad. I’d hate to see anything happen to your oh so charming mother.”

            “You lay a finger on her… I’LL KILL YOU!!!!!”

            Noir chuckled, turning away from him. “I wonder how long your precious noble pride will hold out against pain. No matter how strong the will, they always break when a little pain’s applied. Rishid, whip him until he’s ready to talk.” The bald man nodded grimly, loathe to obey his master, but he did owe him quite a lot. He’d be rotting in a jail somewhere while his brother Malik suffered a whore’s fate if it weren’t for him.

            Noir strode calmly from the cracking of the whip and the boy’s strangled cries as if he were taking a leisurely stroll through a country garden. ‘The more they resist, the more and more despair takes over. Even an innocent child like you’ll discover the mystery and passion of the darkness that will be your despair. Yes, darkness… that is what I am. What I am on this hell of a planet for, to cover everything with my darkness.’

            He sat down in his favorite armchair, rubbing his temples lightly, glad that the cellar was far away enough to keep Yugi’s screams from reaching his ears. ‘The cursed star ‘Le Flamme de Magar’… hundreds and thousands had shed blood for it, souls drowned in their greed for it as it surrenders to none, shining brightly – a beacon in the dark. I  _must_  have it. I’ll cover all with darkness.’

            Two hours later, Rishid had come to inform his master that their ‘guest’ had fallen unconscious and Noir was standing over the boy’s limp body lying on the floor, an unreadable expression on his face as he surveyed the welts covering his now naked form.

            “Not even once did he cry out after that first one,” Rishid said sadly, “He held onto the very last before the pain became too much for his mind to bear.”

            Smiling with veiled admiration, Noir carefully picked up the slumbering Yugi. “You’re really something, kid,” he said as he began to carry him back to his room. ‘Because your shine is more beautiful and brilliant than any jewel on earth.’

 

*********************************************************

 

            Meanwhile, a couple men passing near the Mutou family estate glance over at the strange glow coming from the direction of the mansion. Recognizing what the glow truly was one of them gasped in shock before shouting, “The Mutou house is burning!!!”

 

~TBC~

 


	2. Chapter 2: Flame of Magar Part 2

             _In the seventeenth century, the King of Magar, after so much family blood had been spilt, ordered a rare and enormous diamond be set into the statue of a Hindu goddess. Carved into the base of the statue were these words – “Whoever dares steals from the goddess Kali will be cursed by her anger.”_

             _These words would later prove true when a foreign soldier blatantly disregarded the goddess’s warning and pried the diamond from her head only to later go insane. One by one, as Kali’s diamond passed from hand to hand, its owners fell into misfortune. Eventually the diamond came to the royal Bourbon family of_ _France_ _. Not too long after said family fell to the guillotine of the French Revolution._

             _Now, the jewel’s current owner is being ensnared by Kali’s curse._

********************************************************************

 

            Malik hummed merrily as he stirred his latest concoction. “Malik’s Special Energy Stamina Soup ought to be just the thing to make him feel better,” he said lifting the spoon and helping himself to a sample. Suddenly he spat it out, his face now a very bright green. After fussing around with various ingredients, the blond Egyptian deemed it to be ready and scooped a generous helping into a bowl on a tray. Picking up the tray, he went back to his humming as he carried the tray to a certain ‘guest’s’ room.

            There were a couple men stationed in the hall and they eyed the bowl warily. They were all too familiar with Malik’s cooking habits. “Betcha he put newts in that again,” whispered the man with brown and lavender hair. His light green haired friend grinned, “He puts newts in everything,” he whispered back, chuckling.

            Malik glared at the two, making them shut up immediately. “It’s good for you!” he huffed. “Anyway, it’s good for someone who’s ill.” He carefully balanced the tray with one hand and knocked on the door. “Yugi? I’ve got dinner,” he called. Not waiting for an answer, he opened the door and walked in. Placing the tray down on the table by the bed, he continued to chirp merrily while the room’s occupant remained silent. “So how are you feeling? Does it still hurt?”

            The spiky haired boy continued to clutch the newspaper he’d been reading, crystalline tears streaming from his eyes. Sighing Malik, shrugged his shoulders at the length of rope trailing from one bedpost to the boy’s wrist. “It’s your own fault you know. Running off after Noir bought you, and with all those injuries yet! Yeesh!”

            The white haired phantom thief entered the room, frowning at the state the boy was currently in. He snatched the paper, making the smaller teen gasp and shrink away as far as he could go. “You saw this didn’t you?” he asked gruffly after glancing over the paper before slamming it onto the table next to the soup.

            Curious, Malik picked up the discarded newspaper and gasped. “’Tragedy at the Mutou Estate’,” he murmured, reading the headline.

Noir growled and snatched the paper away again, ripping it into shreds. “His mother was murdered. Whoever did it burned the mansion down to hide the evidence,” he explained, his reddish brown eyes softened slightly at the cringing boy. “There’s nothing left of the house, so I don’t think it was a robbery. However, those idiot gendarmes believe he did it.”

“WHAT?!” shouted Malik, “Yugi’s been here the whole time! Besides, he’d never do such a thing! All he’s ever been doing is fussing over his ‘maman’.”

“I know that!” snapped the thief, plopping himself onto the bed. “Looks like someone wants them to think that, to flush him out.”

“You mean someone’s pulling their strings?”

Noir nodded grimly. “Whoever it is, must have been at that party. It’s probably a relative of theirs. Malik I want you to find out who.”

“You got it Noir!” the Egyptian chirped, always eager to help his master. Malik started to leave, but got an idea. He turned back to the thief. “Hey! If we look at the list of those at the party and compare it with the list of all the nobles, I’d bet we’d find our killer real fast. But why would anyone want to kill the Mutous?”

“Because they want what I want,” Noir explained. “’Le Flamme de Magar’. Only those related to the Mutous knew it even exists.”

*********************************************************

            The next day, Yugi had managed to escape the thief again and had run to the ruins of what was once his family home. The spiky haired boy clutched the hooded cape in white knuckled hands as he stared at the burnt out shell of the mansion.

_‘Maman… y-you can’t be dead,’_ he said, not bothering to fight the tears any longer.  _‘Why?!’_

            He suddenly started when he felt someone grasp his shoulder roughly. “This place is off limits,” hissed a familiar voice.

            “U-Uncle Keith!”

            The man’s eyes widened and spun the boy around. Recognizing the twin amethysts peering from under the hood, his eyes glinted sinisterly, though his nephew failed to notice, he was too relieved to have found a family member. “You little idiot,” he hissed and began to pull him away “The gendarmes are watching the place!” He then shoved the boy into a carriage that just happened to be waiting not too far away.

            Once, inside, Yugi began to berate his uncle. “Uncle! We can’t hide! We’ve got to clear this whole thing up and…”

            “Whoa, easy petit,” Keith said pinning him to the seat by his shoulders, “You’re a suspect Yugi! Do you really think those idiots will listen to you?!”

Yugi bowed his head, the man was right. Especially since the anti-aristocracy feelings of the commoners were still prevalent. “Uncle… I-Is… maman…”

            The blonde man laid a sympathetic hand on his nephew’s head. “I identified the body myself. I was only able to recognize her jewelry it was so burnt. They said that she died from a fall down the stairs.” Keith held the boy as he flung himself against his chest, sobbing his heart out. “I know it wasn’t you petit. There’s no way a child who loved their mother as much as you did could kill her.” Feeling something wet and sticky on his hands, Keith released the boy and stared at the red substance. “Hey! You’re hurt! What happened Yugi?!” However, he got no answer for the poor boy had fainted from the emotional stress and pain from his still healing injuries.

 

************************************************************************

 

            Yugi woke up to find himself in a large and elegantly furnished bed. A black haired woman hovered near, a damp cloth in her hand. Seeing that it was his Aunt Vivian, he tried to give her a weak smile.

            “Sit still, Yugi,” she chided, “You’ve got a fever. I don’t want you overdoing it.”   

“T-Thank you for helping me Aunt Vivian, I’m such a bother.”

“Not at all sweetie. I just want you to get better.” She laid the cool cloth on her nephew’s forehead. Yugi sighed at the small relief he received. “What happened to you Yugi? It looks like you were whipped?” The boy abruptly turned his head away, ashamed to tell his only living relatives what the phantom thief had done to him. “I understand if you don’t want to talk about it, not with things the way they are. Why don’t you let your Auntie Vivi get rid of that nasty stone for you?”

            “Stone?” he asked, feigning ignorance.

“Why the ‘Flamme de Magar’ of course. Your family treasure.”

            “Aunt Vivian, do you think maman died because of that thing?”

“No doubt about it,” said Keith as he entered the bedroom. Yugi began to sob uncontrollably again.

“I-I thought as much,” the boy hiccupped after his sobbing died down a bit. ‘ _Why does_   _everyone want that thing?!_ _It’s just a hunk of shiny rock.’_   “Uncle Keith… you can have it,” he said, not noticing the glint of triumph in the man’s eyes.  _‘Nothing matters anymore without maman.’_ The blond man nodded and placed his hand on Yugi’s shoulder.

            “Get some rest petit,” he said before hurriedly rushing out the room.

 

***********************************************************

“We did it!!” crowed Vivian. “I had my doubts, but you actually pulled it off!”

“Heh!” Keith replied smirking, “A death in the family does tend to make you a bit more receptive to persuasion. Especially a naïve little boy.” He gave out a loud laugh before rushing over to the telephone. Picking it up, he began to dial. “Paris City Police? It’s Keith. Yes, you were right. He came back. He’s here at my house.” After a few more moments of discussing the pending arrest of his nephew, the blond hung up.

 

 

**************************************************

 

            Meanwhile, the spiky haired boy jumped awake as the window banged open. He stared as the white haired thief strode calmly into the room. “I’m here for my amethysts,” he said striding over to the bed.

            “N-Noir!”

The thief glared at the boy, and he whimpered slightly. “If I’d know you’d run off like that again, I’d chain you to the damned bed instead of just using rope. That’d make you look even more like a jewel.”

Yugi fumed, his face bright red. “HOW-“

            Noir quickly covered the boy’s mouth, effectively silencing him. “Don’t be an idiot,” he scolded. “The gendarmes are coming in right now. Or do you want to hand yourself over to your enemies.” He then released Yugi and went back to the open window. “Look I don’t have time for this. We’ll talk later. Now get over here!”

            “Why should I go with you?!” Yugi spat defiantly. “For all I know you could’ve killed maman!”

“Quite the detective aren’t you?” the thief jeered sarcastically, “You’ve forgotten you and I were having a bit of fun at the time.”

            Yugi winced as he remembered the horrible torture the thief had him put through. “I-I don’t care! I’m not going with you!”

“Suit yourself. Oh and by the way, Keith killed your mother.” Yugi glared at him, refusing to believe another word that came from that sadistic monster’s mouth.

            “He’s upstairs!” shouted someone from below. Yugi couldn’t believe what he heard next.

            “He’s a madman! I was so scared when he showed up!” cried his aunt.

            “Only your family knew about ‘Le Flamme de Magar’,” Noir stated coolly. “And now that your precious Uncle Keith has gotten himself into a load of debt from his gambling, well you figure it out. He’s figured out that you were your mother’s one weakness.”

            “Careful men!” cried one of the gendarmes, mere feet away from the door, “This criminal’s dangerous and mad!” The doorknob began to slowly turn.

            “Yugi!” ordered Noir, “Get over here! I paid your mother for you! You belong to me now! I’ll not have those bastards pawing my amethysts!” Yugi stared at him torn between escaping and letting the gendarmes capture both of them.

            “Hands in the air!” shouted a gendarme as a squad burst into the room.

            Suddenly there was an explosion and thick black smoke filled the room. Using the ensuing chaos, Noir quickly scooped up the boy and wrapped his cape around him. He then leapt gracefully out the window, his living amethysts clutched tightly to his chest.

******************************************************

“Did you see the way they looked?!” Noir said laughing as they drove away from Keith’s house.

             _‘Why is it that I can’t hate him?’_  Yugi asked silently while trying to keep away from the white haired thief.  _‘He’s such a monster and a brat!’_  “Le Flamme de Magar’ is a cursed gem,” he said after several minutes of brooding. The boy’s voice was so sudden that Noir started slightly. “It brings misfortune to whoever owns it. Are you sure you want it?”

            Noir let out a small chuckle. “I don’t believe in curses. My fate is my own.”

 

*************************************************************

 

            A few days later, after Yugi had healed enough to move around again, he had Noir drive him to an old abandoned castle that was once one of his family’s holdings.

            “So that’s the old Mutou Loire Castle? What a dump,” Noir said, looking the ruins over. “Then again, no one’s lived here since the revolution. Quite the brilliant idea hiding it here.”

            After following Yugi through the castle, the boy stopped at a wall and pressed a hidden switch. There was a dull creaking sound and the wall swung away to reveal a hidden passage. Rising an eyebrow in approval, Noir continued to follow his guide down the stone stairs hidden within. Yugi and Noir coughed as their feet stirred up huge clouds of dust.

            “This place could use a maid,” the thief said in an attempt to lighten the mood. “Yeesh, even with this torch it’s pitch black.

            “I think I see something shining!” Yugi called after reaching the end of the staircase.

            Raising the torch a bit, their eyes came upon a portrait of a regally dressed man. “That’s Louis XVI,” Noir said, recognizing the last king of France. Yugi shuddered as the king’s eyes rolled in the torchlight. “I heard about this from my mother,” Noir said, shivering slightly, “It gave me the creeps.”

            “It’s painted twice on polarized glass,” Yugi explained, “If you put a light to it, it points to a secret.”

            Nodding, Noir held the torch up to the painting again and watched as Yugi followed the king’s eyes. He gave out a small ‘aha’ and came over to a hidden handle set into the floor. “Your family really knew what they were doing,” Noir said in admiration.

            “Don’t just stand there!” scolded Yugi, pulling on the handle. “Help me get this open if you want that thing!”

            “Yugi get down!” Noir shouted. Suddenly there was a loud crack and Noir clutched his shoulder, dropping the torch.

            “Noir!” Yugi shouted, concerned for the thief.           

            “Looks like we got here just in time,” Keith snarled, holding a pistol. “If you want to live, then I’d back away from there if I were you.”

            “As if,” spat Noir, reaching into his cape. Before Yugi’s uncle could fire off another shot, there was a loud whooshing sound followed by a startled yell as the gun went flying from the blond’s hand.

            “Y-You’re Bakura Akefia!” Keith shouted, recognizing the white haired man. Yugi rushed forward and grabbed the gun, pointing it at his uncle. “You little brat! How dare you point a gun at me! What has that man been telling you!”

            “Don’t you dare come any closer Uncle Keith! I know you killed maman!”

            “Ha, ha, very funny petit! Now put the gun down.”

            Yugi hesitated, not wishing to harm the man he’d know ever since he was born. That gave his aunt, who had snuck in while Keith had them distracted, to whip out her own gun.

            “Yugi! Watch --!” Noir shouted, noticing the woman’s intent. But it was too late she smirked evilly and fired the gun. The white haired thief stared as the bullet flew through the air and struck the spiky haired boy’s hand, knocking the gun to the floor. Yugi let out a pained shout and clutched his now bleeding hand.

            Seeing his chance, Keith leapt forward and reclaimed his gun before either of them could make a move for it. “Oh you poor dear,” his aunt cooed mockingly as Keith aimed the gun on his nephew one more time.

            “You move and he dies,” the blond said to Noir as they began to open the hidden passage in the floor. The white haired thief could only grimace and watch as they slipped below the floor. He couldn’t risk losing his beautiful amethysts.

            “Yugi! Yugi!” he called, pounding on the trap door once it slammed shut.

            “If you wish to live,” said a hooded figure, “Then leave. Leave quickly!”

            Turning around, the white haired man saw a figure fleeing out of the hidden room. “Wait!” he called, chasing after the figure. He grasped the hooded cape and gasped, recognizing the person underneath. “It’s you!”

 

****************************************************

 

            Meanwhile, Yugi had found himself in a room full of treasure. He would have been awed by the sight if he didn’t have a gun pointed at him. His uncle glanced around and spotted what they had come for. Carved into the wall was a relief of a Hindu goddess and embedded in her forehead was a giant glittering diamond.

            “We’ve found it!” he shouted, “It’s in that goddess relief over there!”

            “That’s not all we found!” Vivian said, her eyes lighting up at the treasure surrounding them. “Will you look at all this loot!”

            However, her husband wasn’t listening. It was pretty obvious that the diamond had driven him mad, for it was all he could think of, all he wanted. “Damn it’s stuck tight!” he said, trying to yank it out.

             _‘A goddess with a jewel in her head,’_  Yugi mused, remembering the tales his mother used to tell about the diamond, how the curse started.  _‘Not again!’_

            “Hey Vivian! Gimme a hand will you?!”

            Muttering to herself, the woman reluctantly dropped the necklace she’d been admiring and came over to her husband. “Yeesh you men can’t do anything!” she grumbled, pulling out a jeweled dagger she’d found. She shoved the tip of the blade into the diamond’s recess and after a few moments of jiggling the dagger, the gem gave a ‘click’ sound and fell into Keith’s waiting hands.

            “Got it babe!”

            While they were dancing around like idiots, a black and purple smoke began to seep from where the diamond had been. “I-I can’t breathe!” Vivian cried as the smoke began to fill the air.

            “’Whoever dares steals from the goddess Kali will be cursed by her anger,” Yugi recited between coughs.

            Within seconds, his aunt and uncle fell to the floor, dead. Realizing the danger he was in, Yugi rushed up the stairs and began to desperately pound on the trap door. “Noir!” he shouted as he pushed against the door, but it held tight. “Noir! Please! Open the door!” He began to feel faint and he was coughing more now as the smoke had finally reached the staircase.  _‘I’m gonna die here,’_  he thought, slumping onto the stairs.

            The smoke began to swirl even faster and he thought he saw what looked like a caped figure coming up the stairs. “N-Noir?!” he gasped as he struggled to stand.

            “Yugi!” the phantom thief cried and caught the boy before he could fall down the stairs. Seeing that the boy was about to pass out again, he began to slap him. “Wake up!” he shouted, “Don’t you dare die on me! If you die, it’ll be from my whip!”

            “P-Pervert,” Yugi muttered against the thief’s chest.

            Smiling in relief, Noir held the boy close, wrapping his cape around him before rushing back into the smoke and through a hidden passage that was beginning to fall apart. Once they had gotten to safety, he released his hold on Yugi. “You okay?” he asked after catching his breath from holding it so long.

            “Y-Yeah,” replied Yugi, still coughing a bit.

            “We’re still not safe, this place’ll collapse as well.” He then began to rush further down the hall. “Move it Yugi!” he called when the boy hadn’t followed – he was too surprised at being in an undiscovered passage. Snapping out of it, Yugi hurried after the thief.

            “How’d you know about this tunnel?!” he asked.

            “Not now Yugi!” the thief snapped, grabbing his arm and pulling him along.

            “Hey!” he cried indignantly, “You don’t have to be so rough!”

            Unbeknownst to them, a hooded figure watched as they fled.

            “Noir, why’s the place falling apart?” Yugi asked as they continued to run through the rapidly collapsing castle.       

            “When your stupid uncle removed the diamond, the gas that was accumulated underground got released. It must have weakened the foundation.”

            “Oh. So is that why they…”

            “That gas was poisonous to living things. Let’s go!”

            Noir refused to say anything else the rest of the way, he had to get Yugi out. He owed it to  _her_  to make sure the boy had gotten away safely.

 

Flashback

_“Madame Mutou!” the thief cried in shock, “You’re alive!”_

_Yugi’s mother looked at him sadly. “When my brother pushed me down the stairs, he thought that I died. I just can’t believe Keith, my own kin, would want me dead!” Tears began to flow down her cheeks. “It's all because of that damnable diamond!” she spat hatefully. “I wish it never existed!” She began to sob, however, managed to compose herself. “I killed Anzu and put my jewelry on her so that bastard would think it was me. I’ve been hiding here, since I know Keith would have to come here eventually. He wouldn’t know about the traps in this place. I thought it best that everything vanish along with him.”_

_“But why hide from Yugi?” the thief asked, not liking the feeling he was getting from her._

_“He shouldn’t have been involved in all this. I should be the only one bound by my family’s duty. My ancestors got that hideous thing from the king, and the duty of watching over it. It is the last pride of the Mutous.”_

End Flashback

 

************************************************************************

            Yugi stared as the last of the castle falls into the earth. “Noir,” he said after the last of the castle vanished. “There was someone in that tunnel, wasn’t there? Is that how you know about it?”

            The thief refused to answer.  _‘It’s best he believes Keith killed her,’_  he thought, not wishing to burden the boy further. Glancing over to him, he spotted the tears Yugi had been fighting.  _‘I knew all along and still I chased after it. “Le Flamme de Magar” is a rather pitiful thing.’_

            Yugi started when thief gently laid the boy’s head on his shoulder. “Stop crying,” he said, “You’ll get those amethysts cloudy.” Normally, he’d be furious with this odd thief but he couldn’t help feel comforted by those words, even if they were from a sadistic, twisted thief.

 

 

********************************************************************

 

            Malik hummed to himself as he carried two bowls of foul looking goop up to Yugi’s room.

            “Malik, is that what I think it is?” his brother Rishid asked, holding his nose.

            “Yep! Since Yugi and Noir got themselves exhausted running around like that, I’m gonna give them Malik’s EXTRA Special Energy Stamina Soup!”

            Rishid groaned, pitying them immensely as the smaller blond merrily strode through the door.

 

~TBC~


	3. Chapter 3: Petite Rebecca’s Case

            “Now, Rebecca, my dear granddaughter,” the old man said as he handed a little blonde girl in a sailor type outfit a brand new teddy bear. “You’ve been good while I was away, weren’t you? You can pretend he’s me. Now stay here and be a good girl.” He looked out at the street, then ran down the alley when he heard a shout.

            The little girl looked after her grandfather and started to follow after him but froze when a scruffy looking man rushed into the alley. He looked at her then dismissed her. “He ain’t here, just a kid,” he said to the blonde woman who came into the dark alley.

            “Grandpa!!!!” the girl shouted then dashed away from the man and woman.

            “Damn, she’s fast!” the woman grumbled before she could grab hold of the girl.

 

******************************************

 

Meanwhile at the phantom thief’s home…

            “Are you accusing me of robbing the Duchess?” the white haired man asked his guest.

            “O-Of course not,” the man replied, coughing.

            “Well then, if you’ve got nothing else to say, leave. I’m a busy man.”

            The man smiled cruelly, a determined look in his ruby eyes. “There may not be any connection ‘yet’, Bakura Akefia Courland, but I  _will_  expose you!”

            “Oh?” the thief said, rising one white eyebrow. “And just what would I have to hide. Monsieur Atem?”

            “That you’re really the ‘Phantom Thief, Noir.”

            “Now that’s rich!” Noir then began to laugh loudly.

 

*********************************************

 

            In another part of Paris, Yugi and Malik were walking down the street, the two boys were carrying armloads of packages from one of the blond’s supply runs. “Um… what exactly are all these?” the shorter boy asked as he shifted his load yet again.

            “Books,” replied his taller companion cheerily, “I really appreciate you coming along Yugi, it’s usually so hard buying books for No…” he quickly cleared his throat to stop himself from saying  _that_ name in public. “Bakura.”

            “ALL this is books?!” Yugi asked in amazement. “There’s no way he’ll find time to read all this.”

            Malik gave a loud laugh. “You’d be surprised, he just looooves to read!”

            “I’ve never seen so many foreigners before,” the smaller boy said as he watched a group of tourists pass by.

            “Yeah, well this is Paris. It is the world’s center for culture after all, right?”

            “I guess. Though it’s odd that Noir would resist using the new electric light, like he’s trying to keep the light away.”

            “I don’t think that’s it Yugi. I think that the more light there is, the thicker the shadows are. It makes ‘noir’ more visible, like it’s trying to scare the light. But of course Noir is the king of darkness.”

            “You must really like Noir,” the spiky haired boy said, causing his Egyptian friend to blush profusely.

            “Yeah, I like him. A lot.”

            “You know he thinks of you as just one of his servants, right?”

            “I know,” Malik replied, sighing heavily, “I guess I’m really not that attractive after all.”

            “I don’t…” Yugi suddenly paused when he heard shouting.

            “Someone! Stop that brat!” a man cried. Moments later a little girl in a sailor type outfit came running through the crowd, a teddy bear clutched tightly in her arms. Desperate to get away from her pursuers, she crashed headlong into the spiky haired boy, having not paid attention. Yugi went sailing backwards, Noir’s books flying in all directions.

            “Oh!” Yugi cried and immediately began to retrieve the pile of books that had landed on the poor child. “Are you okay, miss?”

            The girl gazed at the boy for a few moments then shocked him and Malik when she suddenly threw her arms around his waist. “Mama!” she yelled, tears streaking down her cheeks.

            “Wh-Wha?!”

            The little girl refused to let go no matter how hard Yugi tried to extricate himself. “Mama! Mama!”        

            Malik couldn’t help himself and began to laugh at his friend’s predicament. But that didn’t last long. Seeing a couple men heading their way, he quickly gathered up the last of the books and pushed the two into a nearby alley.

            “Damn! Where’d she go?!” one of the unsavory looking men asked.

            “Brat’s not here,” said his companion. A couple minutes later, the two thugs left.

            “That was close,” Malik said. He hadn’t liked the look of those two one bit.

            “What was that all about?” Yugi wondered.

            The little girl then pushed away from Yugi having realized her mistake. “You’re not Mama!” she cried, more tears beginning to flow now. Within seconds, the child had fainted dead away, the ordeal she’d been through having taken its toll on her small body.

            “Aiya!” cried Malik, “We’ve got to do something!” the then dumped the books and the rest of his packages on Yugi, quickly scooped up the unconscious girl, then dashed off to their house.

 

***********************************************

 

            “If you say I’m this phantom thief, then way haven’t you told the gendarmes?” the white haired man asked.

            “Well, Noir’s a pretty smart guy. He never leaves any evidence,” replied the tri-color haired man.

            “Which means, you’ve been wasting your time with this idle chatter.”

            Meanwhile, Yugi and Malik have finally returned. “Where’s Noir?” Malik asked Rishid as the taller Egyptian greeted them, eyeing the child in his brother’s arms curiously.

            “Welcome back, Malik,” he said carefully taking the girl from him. “He’s with someone right now. A Monsieur…”

            Upon hearing voices coming from the study, the blond crept over to the door.

            “It would seem so,” said a deep unfamiliar voice. “But we all know no one’s perfect. I’ve tarried here long enough. Say hello to your dark skinned friend for me. I’ll stop in for a visit every now and then.”

            “You must really need money,” came Noir’s sarcastic voice. “I’m warning you, I charge a very high interest. I could recommend another establishment.”

            “You play the part of ‘corrupt loan shark’ very well,” said the other man. “Let me give you some advice. It’s not my philosophy to force others into debt. Also don’t you dare die on me, I want you in perfect health when I catch you.”

            “Stop acting as if you’re my friend,” Noir spat back. “You’re just a two bit detective! All you do is follow me around, and not to subtly I may add and you haven’t got ONE shred of evidence!”

            The other man hmphed. “If I’m a hack, then that would make you a brat!” he retorted. “Oh I know how old you are ‘Bakura’. You’re still a teenager. If you want to act like a grown up, wait a few more years.”

“Get out of here you old fart of a hack!”

            Malik and Yugi quickly jumped out of the way as a man with red, black and gold hair came storming out of the study, followed by several books and other odds and ends Noir had apparently chucked at him. “Is he robbing cradles now?” the man asked, noticing the girl standing timidly by Yugi.

            “I should have known it was you,” Malik said, shoving the man out of the house and then promptly slamming the door.

            “Um, Malik,” piped Yugi, “I heard him call Noir a teenager, just how old is he?”

            “Eighteen.”

            Yugi’s jaw dropped. “You’ve got to be kidding me! There’s no way he can be two years younger than me!”

            The white haired thief glared at the giggling boy. Yugi hastily cleared his throat to cover up the last of the giggles, fearing another whipping. Malik shrugged his shoulders, smiling slightly. “So  _he_ was here again. That guy just won’t quit. So nothing happened right?”

            “’Fraid so.”

            “Who was that by the way?” Yugi asked, before Malik could say anything.

            “A two bit wannabe private dick,” Malik replied, sighing exasperatedly. “His name’s Atem Khemet. As to what he was doing here, well he’s after Bakura. Ever since he got fired from the gendarmes, he’s had a grudge against Noir.”

            “Never mind that,” spat Noir, “What are you doing with that?!” he asked, glaring at the trembling girl.

            “Noir, she’s only a kid.”

            “I can see that! I want to know what it’s doing here!”

            “She was being chased,” explained Yugi, “We’ve tried to get her to talk, but she just won’t say anything. Please, Noir, we can’t throw her out if we don’t know where she lives!”

            “This is NOT a day care!” shouted the thief.

            “Aw, Noir! She’s so cute!” Malik piped up. “Just look at her!”

            “Kids are nothing but trouble! Get rid of it!” yelled the thief opening the front door!”

            Yugi stood between the girl and the rather angry thief. “Stop yelling at her! Can’t you see she’s scared enough already!”

            Suddenly the girl’s stomach let out an enormous growl, causing everyone to stare at her. She immediately ducked behind Yugi while Malik started laughing at the rather hilarious timing. Sighing, Noir allowed the girl to stay, at least until she’d been fed at least.

 

******************************************

 

            About twenty minutes later, the little girl was happily stuffing herself as she sat at the dining room table. “I don’t believe it!” said the man with brown and lavender hair. “She’s actually eating Malik’s slop!”

            “She could die!” whispered his mint green haired friend.

            “Want more?” Malik asked, pleased that every last drop had been cleared from the plate. The girl shook her head then laid her head on the table, still tired. “She’s sooooo cute!” The Egyptian bent to pick up the bear since it had been carelessly knocked from the table.

            Suddenly he was knocked onto his rear by a bright yellow blur. “Don’t you dare touch, Teddy! He’s  _my_  treasure!”

            “What’s going on in here?!” shouted Noir, disturbed at the ruckus.

            “I’m sorry,” Malik apologized, dusting himself off. “I won’t touch him again, ok?”

            The pale haired thief glared at the child again, but raised his eyebrows in shock upon seeing the bear.  _‘Are those?’_

            “Noir,” interrupted Yugi, “Can’t she stay here for the night? It’s getting pretty late.”

            The thief sighed, “Do what you want,” he said, annoyedly before going back to his study.

            “I’m sleeping with Nii-sama!” the girl cried latching onto Yugi.

            “She’s just the cutest thing!” crowed Malik, earning a glare from the shorter boy.

            “So what’s your name?” Yugi asked after tucking the girl into his bed. “It’s really hard for us to talk like this.”

            “Petite Rebecca,” she replied after a few moments.

            “Why Petite?”

            “That’s what Grandpa calls me. Mama used to do that a lot too. Nobody’s allowed to call me that, only Grandpa… and you Yugi!”

            “I’m honored,” Yugi said, smiling, “Your mother and father must love you lots.”

            Rebecca sniffled, tears beginning to form in her crystal blue eyes. “Mama and Papa died last year and now Grandpa… he doesn’t like me anymore. He’s always busy with work. He always says I’m in the way. ‘Why don’t you go over there’ he says. No matter… how hard I try, no one listens. There’s no one else at home so I’m always by myself. So when I cry, there’s no one to…” She gasped when she suddenly found herself in a fierce hug. Rebecca then gave the slightly taller boy a sad smile in thanks. “Then one day, Grandpa got teddy for me. He’s my treasure. You kinda look like Mama, Yugi. She had purple eyes too.”

            Yugi nodded in understanding and continued to hug the girl until she fell asleep.

 

*********************************************

 

            “What did you want to see me for?” Yugi asked, entering Noir’s study.

            “About that brat.”

            “She’s asleep now.”

            “Who cares. Just don’t expect to keep her here. It’ll get you nothing but trouble.”

            “What do you mean?”

            “There’s something I want you to see,” the thief said, motioning him over. Yugi, curious as always, obeyed and eagerly took the jeweler’s loop from him.

            “It looks just like a star!” he cried in awe as he peered through the glass at a deep blue gem Noir had been holding.

            “That’s why it’s called a star sapphire. The rutile in it causes a six lined star to appear. It’s usually really rare, but this one’s part of a set of twins.” Yugi’s eyes popped open, eager to see the ‘twin’. “It’s rather strange don’t you think? That that brat was being chased?”

            “Noir, I don’t see where…”

            “These stars were once Teddy’s eyes.”

            “Wh-What?!!! How could you! Stealing from a little kid!”

            “Don’t worry, I’ll put them back later. I just wanted to see something. Jewels are my hobby after all,” he said smirking at the still huffing boy.

            “Too bad there won’t be a later!” shouted a man as he and another burst through an open window.

            Meanwhile, Rebecca had woken up, having to answer a certain call. “Where’s Yugi nii-chan?” she asked as she wandered the halls. “Maybe he’s there!” she said, noticing the light coming from the study. She creaked open the door a tiny bit, then froze upon seeing the two men threatening her nii-chan and his not so nice friend.

            “We’re all tired here, so why not do the right thing and give us Rebecca Hawkins. All we want is the kid, you don’t have to get yourselves involved,” said the first man.

            Yugi had noticed the door had been opened slightly and gasped when his eyes caught a glimpse of bright yellow. “Rebecca, run!” he called.

            The second of the thugs whirled around and pulled the door open with such force, it almost broke off its hinges. The little girl stood there unable to move as she saw the muzzle of the man’s gun was now mere inches from her face.

 

~TBC~


	4. Chapter 4: Petite Rebecca's Case Part 2

            A woman screamed as a dark cloaked figure ran out the open window.

 

*************************

 

            The next day a small group of gendarmes rummaged through the opulently furnished house while their chief inspector sat comforting the lady of the house who was currently sobbing nearby an open and very empty safe.

            “You say you saw a shadowy figure breaking into your safe is that right, Madame Hawkins?”

            The blonde covered her amethyst eyes as she continued to sob. “I was… scared to death,” she managed to say between sobs. “It’s got to be the same person who’s made my husband disappear, inspector. Hurry and get that vile Masked Noir!” she shouted.

            “What makes you think it was Noir, Madame,” asked a younger man with red, black and gold hair.

            “And who you might be?” she asked, disdainfully, not liking the man’s attitude and lack of manners.

            “So he showed up after all,” muttered the inspector, annoyed at the interruption. “This is Atem Khemet. He’s a private detective who’s been following cases involving Noir.” He then turned to the shorter man and glared at him. “Don’t even think of interfering with our investigation! Get your nose out of police business!”

            Atem chose to ignore the irate gendarme and went over to the woman, placing a hand on her arm. “Madame,” he said gently, “I know it’s been trying but how do you know it was Noir if you only saw the person’s shadow?”

            The woman looked at him flustered and began to stammer at having been caught in a lie. “Well…” she began after several moments of grasping for a reasonable explanation, “Isn’t the one who’s been causing a ruckus these days? Besides that’s what they’ve been saying all over Paris.”

             _‘She has an Italian accent,’_  Atem mused catching the slight accent which she’d been trying to hide earlier. “Your husband is the owner of the Hawkins du Paris bank is he not?” he asked, receiving a quick nod. “And there was money in the safe?"  _‘ Banque Hawkins du Paris, the leading bank in the city.’_

            “That’s right,” Madame Hawkins replied teary eyed. “That money was for moving the head office. Who cares about that!” she yelled. “My poor husband could be dead already!” She began to break down again and sob into her hands.

            “Madame, please!” begged the inspector draping his hand around her shoulders. He shot a rather angry death glare at the spiky haired man.

            Atem however was too deep in thought to notice.  _‘She’s the wife of the head of a major bank… something’s not right.’_

            “Pardonnez-moi, Monsieur Atem,” a maid said entering from the hall.

            Seeing that she wanted to speak with him privately, he excused himself and followed her into the hall. “What is it you wish to tell me, Mademoiselle?” he asked.

            The girl blushed and looked away shyly. “I’ve heard you are a famous detective, non? Please use your skills to find the petite mistress!” she begged.

            “Petite mistress?” he repeated, perplexed at this new bit of info and surprised at the maid’s boldness.

            “Renee!” shouted another maid who had just happened to be passing by. “If you don’t keep your mouth shut, Madame will fire you for sure!”

            “Aren’t you worried about Miss Rebecca?!” the first maid, Renee, pleaded. “She hasn’t come home in three days! Madame won’t let us tell the gendarmes! She keeps saying that the petite mistress is out playing and would be home soon, but I KNOW it isn’t like that! Madame doesn’t give a damn about her since Miss Rebecca isn’t her child. Oh that poor, poor sweet girl! She’s only ten!” The distraught maid then shoved a small painted portrait into the man’s hands.

            Atem’s eyes widened upon recognizing the girl in the painting.  _‘It’s that kid!’_  Seeing a possible connection, the young man ran immediately from the house, shocking the two maids.

            “M-Monsieur Atem?!” Renee queried, but he was long gone by then.

             _‘That smug Bakura Akefia _ _Courland_ _!_ _He finally slipped up! Now I’ve got my chance! I’m gonna prove without a doubt that you’re Noir!’ _the spiky haired detective congratulated, but suddenly paused in midstep, his instincts going into overdrive.  _‘Wait a sec here!’_ he started,  _‘why do I get the feeling that something’s way off here?’_

 

******************************************

 

            Meanwhile in the ‘basement’ of a certain ‘loan shark’ two men, chained to the wall, screamed as a white haired man continued to ‘question’ them.

            Noir flicked his whip to the side, shaking off the flecks of blood that were beginning to collect on the sleek leather. “Are you two gentlemen ready to tell me why you dared to set foot into my nice clean mansion with your dirty shoes?” he asked, glaring at them.

            “Bugger off!” one of them spat defiantly, though the pain was starting to be unbearable.

            “Suit  yourself,” the thief said smirking sadistically. He raised the whip again and quicker than lightning it struck both men in one strike, causing them to scream out again. He then repeated several more times until they had begun to sob like a couple of babies. The white haired man glared at them in disgust.

            “St… stop…” the second man whimpered. His companion just continued to sob.

            Noir sighed.  _‘Pathetic,’_  he sneered silently. How he hated wimpy men like those two.

            “Over so soon?” a young man, with brown and lavender hair said coming in.

            The thief sighed again as he threw the whip to the side. He glared at the still sobbing men one more time before turning to his toady. “Just a bit more and they’ll spill. They’re all yours, Rex,” he said. The shorter man’s eyes gleamed gleefully. “You would think that whoever dared come to Noir’s home would have more guts than those two. I was having no fun at all.” He then strode from the dungeon as if he hadn’t been whipping two men for the past hour or two.

 

*************************************

 

            Yugi sighed as he tucked Rebecca in again. The girl, still shaken from the previous ordeal, refused to let go of his hand. Yugi didn’t mind, still frightened himself. He cringed inwardly at the thought of what Noir could be doing to the two intruders. However, he couldn’t let that get to him, he had Rebecca to think of right now.

            “It’s all right,” he said smiling, attempting to reassure the trembling child.  _‘Poor thing,’_ he mused,  _‘It must be tough, running into those %^ &#s again.’ _“How about some warm milk?” he asked, “It always helped me sleep better.”

            “Yugi-nii,” the girl said after a few moments of silence, “I promised my Grandpa that Teddy and I would be good while he’s gone.” She looked away, tears glistening in her clear blue eyes. “But he’s not coming back is he? Maybe Grandpa’s angry at me ‘cause I wasn’t a good girl.”

            The spiky haired boy frowned slightly, glad that Rebecca couldn’t see it at the moment. He gently patted her head. “Don’t worry,” he said, putting on his best smile. However, the girl didn’t fall for it. Instead, she finally lost the battle with the tears and began to sob uncontrollably. Yugi immediately gathered her into his arms and rocked her gently, whispering soothing nonsense into her tiny ears.  _‘She feels like a bird flittering about, she’s shaking so much. Just what has she been through to make her like this? What could have made her so scared and sad?’_

When she had calmed down enough, he got up to get her some warm milk. While he waited for the white liquid to heat up, Malik had come into the kitchen looking for him – Rishid had told him where to find him.

            “What’s so funny, Malik?” Yugi asked noticing the grin the Egyptian boy had.

            “You’re acting like my sister when I was little.” The blond then turned serious again. “Listen Yugi, it looks like that those guys said something that had to do with Rebecca.”

            “Oh!” he cried, figuring that Noir had wanted to talk to him again. He started to go, but stopped at the doorway, glancing at the still cooking milk.

            “Noir’s waiting,” Malik said shooing him out, “I’ll give it to her so don’t you worry.” Nodding in thanks, he rushed off to the study.

 _‘Yugi, Yugi, Yugi,’_  he fumed silently,  _‘It’s always Yugi now, ‘_ _Kura_ _.’_ “Well, who cares,” he continued aloud, “It’s fine with me, I’m only a follower of Noir’s anyway. Bakura you dummy.” He yelped as some of the hot milk sloshed out of the glass he had just placed onto a small tray. “Oops,” he said, sucking on his fingers.

 

**************************************

 

            “It appears that brat of yours is the granddaughter of the owner of Banque Hawkins du Paris,” Noir explained once Yugi had settled into one of the plush chairs.

            “Hawkins du Paris?!”

            “So you’ve heard of it then?”

            “Of course! It’s one of the largest banks in Paris! But why were they after her?”

            “Here’s a hint,” he said holding up the two star sapphires he’d shown him before. However, Yugi couldn’t see the connection. Sighing exasperatedly, he put the jewels down. “Look, we don’t have much time. Monsieur Hawkins, the kid’s granddad went loopy or something, took all the bank’s money and traded it for priceless jewels. It’s obvious he didn’t want them found so he stashed them in a present for a certain grandkid. That’s what they’re really after.”

             _‘It can’t be! Inside “Teddy”?!’_ Yugi thought in shock. “Noir, are you telling me that they were sent by Rebecca’s grandfather?!”  _“Don’t you dare touch, Teddy! He’s _ **my** _treasure!”_  Yugi shuddered as he remembered how the girl reacted when Malik tried to touch the stuffed animal.  _‘This is terrible!’_

            Suddenly, Malik burst into the study out of breath. “We’ve got trouble, big trouble!”

            “You could have at least knocked first, Malik,” griped the white haired thief.

            “Sor-ry!” the blond spat annoyedly. “Rebecca’s gone! I can’t find her anywhere!”

            “Malik!” cried Yugi, “Did those guys find her?”

            “Nuh-uh. There’s definitely no sign of anyone else coming in here. I think she just up and left on her own.”

             _‘Did you run so you wouldn’t cause us more problems?’_  the spiky haired boy wondered silently. Getting scared for the petite blonde, he shot from the chair and started for the front door.

            “Wait! I’m coming too!” Malik called following him.

            However, before either of them could get far, Yugi found himself pinned against the door. “I wasn’t finished,” he said, his face mere inches away from the smaller boy’s. Yugi couldn’t help but blush. “Listen when I’m talking to you!”

            “But…” Yugi pleaded, “We’ll lose her if we don’t hurry!”

            “Forget about the brat!” the thief shouted, slamming his hand against the door. “She’s a pain and definitely dangerous to have hanging around!”

            “Move out of the way you heartless monster!” the spiky haired boy shot back, “She’s got no one! I’m the only one who can stick by her!” He yelped when Noir’s hand flew and struck his cheek.

            “Don’t start seeing yourself in that kid!” the white haired man spat. “Look,” he sighed, “The kid’s probably ok. She’s made of stronger stuff than you. You’re also forgetting that I bought you. Again. I control everything about you. You’re not leaving here without my say so! You’d better start remembering what your place is here.”

            “Aren’t you being a bit too harsh here, Noir?” Malik said, placing a hand on his master’s arm. He quickly drew it back at the death glare he’d just earned. “Or maybe not,” he muttered quietly.

            There was a sudden crack and the white haired man found himself thrown backwards from the force of the blow of Yugi’s punch. “Just because I’m indebted to you doesn’t mean you can treat me like a slave!” the shorter boy yelled. “You’ll kill me if you continue to play with my feelings like that!”

            “Fine!” the thief spat back, “Do what the %^&# you want!”

            “Fine!” Yugi then dashed from the house, slamming the door hard enough to make most of the house shake.

            “The brat packs a wallop,” Noir muttered, rubbing his now sore jaw.

            Malik looked at him worriedly. “Are you sure it’s okay to let him go like that Noi—“

            The thief quickly covered the blond’s mouth sensing something. “Malik,” he hissed, “What’s my name?” The look he gave said; they weren’t alone and he’d better get with it and fast.

            “B-Bakura Akefia Courland!” was the stammered reply.

            “Exactly.”

            “Oh really now?” came a voice from an open window.

            Noir whirled around and like a snake lashed his whip at the nearby curtains. “Do you plan on joining us or are you going to hide all day?” the white haired man snarled, annoyed that he had yet another intruder in his home.

            “What gave me away?” Atem asked, coming from behind the curtains.

            “Atem Khemet?!” Malik cried in surprise upon recognizing the man. “How did…?!”

            “That’s quite a hobby you’ve got,” Noir snarled, “What drove you to peep on me  _this_  time Monsieur Oh So Famous Detective?”

            “Oh come now don’t be so rude.”

            “Just what exactly did you hear?!” Noir demanded.

            “Not much. Just the enough to get the general picture.”

            “Well then,” the thief began, “You must know that I had noting to do with that kid. Now leave! I don’t know what you’re up to, but stop annoying me with your presence.”

            “I would if Bakura Akefia Courland were here, but I don’t see him, just the Phantom Thief Noir.” Noir continued to glare at the detective.

 

****************************************

 

            “Where did she go?” Yugi muttered as he ran through the dark streets of Paris. “Maybe she went this way.” He ran down an unlit alley and halted when he saw a tiny figure at the end. Suddenly, an automobile skidded to a halt and a rough looking man leap out, grabbing hold of the figure.

            “GET OFF ME!!!!!!!!” screamed the figure. Yugi stood frozen, unable to move an inch as he watched the scene unfold.

            “Shut up brat!” spat the man as he wrestled her into the car.

            “HEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPP!!!” the girl screamed again.

            “Rebecca!!” Yugi yelled rushing toward her.

            “Yugi! Yugi!” Rebecca screamed as the car door slammed shut and sped off.

            “Rebecca!!” Yugi slumped to the ground, tears of anger and frustration streaming down his cheeks.

 

**************************************

 

Meanwhile back at Noir’s…

            “I really shouldn’t be giving you top-secret info,” Atem said, after making  himself comfortable in Noir’s study, “But I’m sure you already know that that girl’s father, who is the owner of a rather large bank, is missing. The gendarmes are investigating Noir meaning they believe him to be the main suspect in his disappearance as well as a break in at his home.” Noir glared at the spiky haired man, daring him to try anything. “But after hearing you two talk, I was rather relieved. I knew  _my_  Noir wouldn’t resort to such vulgar crimes. He’s got style.”

            The white haired thief felt another vein pop. “Glad to hear that, so why don’t you leave already!”

            Atem just smirked and continued to speak. “Mai Hawkins.” Noir looked at him as if he’d just grown a second head. “Did your ‘guests’ say anything about her?” The thief shook his head. “Well, it turns out to be that she’s Monsieur Hawkins’ second wife, which makes her Rebecca’s step-grandmother. This is just a hunch I have, but there’s something not right about Madame Hawkins.”

 

 

**********************************************************

 

            A stately carriage halted at a dark alley, its driver having recognized the young man slumped on the ground nearby.

            “Yugi? Is that you? What on earth are you doing out here in the middle of the night my boy?”

            “Monsieur Feder?” Yugi asked at the man’s voice. “Please! I need a ride! A girl’s life is in danger!”

            “You know I’d be glad to give you a hand lad, but…” he jerked his head towards the cab behind him, indicating he was in the middle of a job.

            “I can pay you!” the boy begged.

            “Alright,” the old man said making room for him, “get on boy.”

            Yugi leapt onto the carriage. “Follow that car!” he said after catching up to the kidnappers.

            “%^&#!” said one of the men inside the car. “We’re being followed!”

            “Don’t worry about a thing hon,” said a blonde woman in a low cut purple dress, “We’ll shake ‘em at the crossroads. You’ve got the bear I hope,” she asked the man next to her.

            “Sure do boss,” he said, smirking at the now bound and gagged girl between them.

            “You’re one nasty little brat,” the woman said in mock parental concern, and pinching the girl’s cheek,  her sharp manicured nails digging into the pink skin. “Always causing trouble for you dear “Grandma”. You’ve really messed up our plans you know that.”

 

**********************************

 

Noir’s…

            Noir frowned, getting more and more concerned for Yugi now that he knew exactly what the impulsive brat had gotten himself into. “Mai Hawkins’ real name is Mai Valentino,” he said. Atem nodded, indicating he was listening. “I’ve heard she’s a member of an Italian mafia group based in New York called the ‘Black Hand’. It looks like she’s the boss for the Parisian branch.”

            Malik let out a gasp, equally worried for the smaller boy and girl.

            “I thought as much,” Atem said grimly.

 

********************************

 

            Meanwhile, Yugi sped after the car, totally oblivious to the peril he was so foolishly racing toward.  _‘Don’t worry Rebecca, I’m coming!’_

“Monsieur Feder, faster!” he shouted over the beat of the horses’ hooves.

 

 

 

~TBC~


	5. Chapter 5: Petite Rebecca's Case Part 3

            The carriage sped through the streets of Paris after the equally speeding car. The driver ignored his customer’s demands to slow down and stop, the boy sitting next to him had top priority now. Besides, Yugi had paid him much more than the bellowing fop.

            “You dunderhead!” shouted the blonde woman in the car ahead, “They’re still after us! Can’t you make this heap go faster?!”

            “Mmph! Mmmph,” a little blonde girl cried behind the gag in her mouth. She continued to glare at the woman.

            “Rebecca…” the spiky haired boy whispered as he held desperately onto the carriage’s seat.

            “Never send a man to do a woman’s job,” the blonde woman spat. She lifted up her dress and drew out a gun she’d hidden in a leg holster. She then leant out of the now open window, taking aim at the carriage. “Shut it brat!” she yelled since the girl started to panic even more now.

            “Whoa!!” the old carriage driver cried as he yanked on the reins. A ricocheting bullet had spooked the horse. The boy was jolted away from the old man and was nearly thrown off the carriage altogether. “Are you all right Yugi?” the driver asked once he had gotten the horse to calm down.

            “Yes… I guess,” Yugi replied still shaken.

            “I’m glad. Too bad we lost them though.”

            “Yeah,” the boy murmured sullenly, worried more than ever for his little friend’s safety.

 

**********************************

 

            Meanwhile, the car had finally reached its destination and came to a stop in a dark side street far from the more fashionable part of the city. The blonde woman yanked the child out of the car, causing her to stumble and fall onto her knees. “Move it you little $^*^,” she said pulling her up and none too gently shoving her forward again.

            The girl glared at her, wishing she could do more than just glare at her. Boy wouldn’t she looooooove to tell this b*^** off good.

            “You really should be nicer to me,” the woman said with mock sweetness, “I’m letting you visit your grandpa after all.”

            The girl looked at the woman quizzically, not sure if she should believe her or not. She really didn’t like this dark place she’d been dragged to. Suddenly there was the sound of chains rattling and a dark figure crept over to them.

            “Rebecca,” the man said with a hoarse, rasping voice, “Is that my little Rebecca?” he asked.

            “G-Grandfather?!”

            The man was barely recognizable in that dark place. Bruises covered his face, but she knew those eyes. She ran over to him, silently cursing her bound arms, she so desperately wanted to hug him.

            “Oh isn’t that sweet,” sneered the woman. “Together again after all this time. And what’s even better is that you’ll be together forever in the Seine now that I’ve got Teddy here.”

            “Mai!” the old man pleaded, “Leave Rebecca out of this! She has nothing to do with this! She’s only a child!”

            “Oh puh-lease!” Mai jeered, “It’s no use trying to play on my sympathy. I was only interested in you because of that oh so wonderful bank of yours. I can’t believe you fell for it! Don’t make me laugh old man! You’re actually more trouble than you’re worth, running off to squeal to the gendarmes! Real brilliant Arthur, weren’t you the one who was embezzling money from your precious bank? Well it looks like there’s going to be a new scandal for the public to eat up. I can see it now – Head of Banque Hawkins du Paris and granddaughter die in double suicide.” She began laughing as she started to leave.

            “You’re no lady Mai!” shouted Rebecca’s grandfather, “You’re a monster!”

            Mai hmphed then slammed the door shut behind her leaving their two prisoners in the dark. Monsieur Hawkins drew his now weeping granddaughter close, hugging as tightly as the chains would allow.

            “What a terrible grandfather I’ve been to you Rebecca,” he said mournfully, “I let myself be tricked by that evil woman and even let you get caught in her web. Please forgive me, my precious Rebecca.”

             _‘Precious?!’_  she thought in surprise, “You really don’t hate me and don’t need me?” she asked between sobs.

            “Of course not! You’re my dear little girl. I’m sorry I made you feel lonely.”

             _‘Grandfather.’_

            “I’m so sorry, Rebecca,” he apologized once again.

            “Me too,” she said sniffling, “There’s something I’ve got to tell grandfather.”

 

***************************

 

            Yugi was still wandering the streets of Paris, searching desperately for one blonde haired and very frightened girl.  _‘Rebecca, where did you go?´  _ he asked worried.

            “You’re Yugi right?” someone asked as the boy passed by.

            Jumping at the sudden question, Yugi spun around and glared at whoever it was that had accosted him.

            “You’re…!” the shorter boy said, recognizing the private detective from Noir’s house.

            The taller look-alike smiled in what he hoped was a non-threatening way. “You look like you could use some help,” he said.

            “Monsieur Khemet, why are you…”

            The detective placed his hand on the boy’s lips, silencing him. “I’m a famous detective,” he began, “You shouldn’t think badly of me because of what your ‘friends’ told you. I know where they took that kid. If you’d like to know, just ask. There is one condition though.”

            “Which is?” He didn’t like where this was heading, the closeness of this man was making him rather uncomfortable.

            “Proof that your friend is Noir.”

            Yugi went pale. He knew he should comply with the request. Bakura was indeed the Phantom Thief Noir, but if he did then he’d be left with nowhere else to go. All his family was dead. “W-What makes you think I’d know anything like that?” he stammered, “I’ve got to go!” He then started down the street again only to have his way blocked by the taller man.

            “Not so fast,” Atem said, pinning him against the wall of a nearby building. “I know you’re worried for your little friend, but do you really think it’s wise to go against one of the leaders of the ‘Black Hand’ like this?”

            “The Black… Hand?”

            Atem smirked, he knew the boy was rushing off half-cocked with no knowledge whatsoever of what he was getting himself into. “Stealing, murder, blackmail,” he started again, “Name a crime and they’ll do it. They’re a crime syndicate bent on world domination. That’s why Bakura said the kid was trouble.”

            “Bakura… he knew about this?!”

            The detective nodded solemnly. “He beat the information out of the men who broke into his home.”

            “I don’t believe him!” the boy yelled angrily, “He  **knew**  and still wanted to throw Rebecca out! He’s just… horrible!”

_‘Just what I’d expect from someone who lived a sheltered life,’_  Atem mused. “Just what were you thinking?!” he scolded, “You ran out without even thinking about what could happen to her or you!”

            The boy looked down, ashamed. This man was absolutely right. He hadn’t even thought about what he’d do if he did catch up to that car. He was really ashamed of himself and blushed profusely at his incompetence.

            “How about we work together, hm?” Atem queried, “I’ve got a contact who used to work for those people so I do have quite a bit of information.” He then playfully poked the boy in the cheek. “You’re wasting time just standing here. Who knows what’s happening to that poor child.”

            Yugi felt his anger rising.  _‘That’s because you’re keeping me here,’_  he thought indignantly. In a sudden show of strength, he punched the man in the stomach, knocking the detective back onto his bum. Atem curled up holding his injured middle.

            “Y-You’re tougher than I thought,” he coughed.

            “You’re just as horrid as Bakura!” Yugi shouted, “How dare you use Rebecca’s life like that! I’ll never tell you who Noir really is even if I  **did**  know!”

            “I never said I was a nice person, Yugi,” the taller man said getting up, “You should know that there’s nothing more important to me than catching my dear petit noir chat.”

            “You’re despicable! Don’t come near me again!” Yugi started off again.

            “One last thing,” Atem called. “Noir’s Bakura Akefia isn’t he?”

            Yugi stiffened slightly but quickly ran off, wanting to get away from that vile detective and to find and save Rebecca.”

 

************************************************

 

            “Noir, I’m putting the lamp here,” Malik said, moving the ornate Tiffany lamp closer to his master’s chair as the thief sat reading a book from his ever growing library. The white haired man grunted in response, not bothering to acknowledge the blond.

            “Look, if you’re that worried, why not look for him?” the Egyptian asked. He’d been with the thief for years now and had gotten pretty good at reading the supposedly heartless man.

            “Like I care,” Noir shot back, slightly unsettled that the boy had been able to read him so well.

            “Oh and I suppose you  **wanted**  to read my book then?” Malik pressed, noticing exactly what it had been his master was trying to read. Noir looked at the blond confusedly then quickly glanced at the cover – Elegant Healthy Diet Menu was written in Malik’s rather childish scrawl.

            Noir blushed slightly, he’d been so worried that he had just picked up the first book he saw in an attempt to forget about a certain hot headed spiky haired boy. He gave off a nervous chuckle before handing the cookbook back to Malik and picking another.

            “I’m worried too, you know,” the blond said, placing a hand on the thief’s shoulder.

            “There’s no need to worry about that brat,” Noir spat. Why did everything have to revolve around some rich brat who’d been spoiled rotten?

            “That’s not what I meant,” Malik went on.

            “What are you talking about, Malik?”

            “You’ve changed since he came to live with us.”

            “You mean Yugi, don’t you?”

            “Is he really that important to you?”

            “What makes you think that?!” the white haired man sputtered.

            “I’m only teasing!” Malik said, though he really didn’t mean it. He could clearly see that the petit boy had indeed meant something to his master. “But anyway, you’re not acting like you. You usually don’t let anything get to you, but Yugi’s really got you upset.”

            “Malik?” He stared at the blond. He could see the stiffness of the boy’s back though he was desperately trying to hide it. His servant was clearly upset for some reason. He suddenly found himself with a lap full of a sobbing blond Egyptian.

            “I don’t like you this way Noir!” Malik cried, “I don’t want Yugi around anymore!  You’ll be like you always were before he showed up! With me and the rest of us!”

            “M-Malik!” Poor Noir didn’t know what to do. It had always been Rishid who comforted his blond servant, so he just let the boy continue to cry against his shoulder.

            A few minutes later, a knock came on the study door. “Hey boss!” came Rex’s voice, “I’m coming in!” Upon hearing the teen’s voice, Malik eeped then leapt out of his master’s lap, blushing profusely.

            “I-I’m s-sorry!” he stammered, utterly mortified at practically throwing himself at the thief.

            Before either could say anything, a boy with brown and lavender hair came barging in. “I got that info ya wanted,” he said, “Hey didn’t I hear Malik in here?” A tan and golden blur ran past him, nearly knocking him off his feet as it ran out the door.

             _‘As if I didn’t have enough on my mind,’_  Noir thought, annoyed,  _‘ Now I’ve got Malik to worry about as well.’_

 

***************************************

 

Back with Yugi and Atem…

            “Answer me!” the taller spiky haired man demanded, “Is Bakura, Noir?!”

            “Yes he is,” the smaller look-alike replied. Atem had a stunned, yet somewhat triumphant look on his face. “Is what you’d like for me to say,” Yugi added, bursting the detective’s bubble. “But I could say he’s me as well.”

            “I’m in no mood for jokes, Yugi,” Atem warned, narrowing his eyes.

            “I’m Noir!” the boy shot back, desperate to protect his ‘friend’.

            “Yugi!” shouted Atem.

            “There! I confessed, now tell me where Rebecca is!”

            “Have it your way then, but if I catch you, ‘Noir’ there’ll be trouble. Jail is no place for a beauty like you.”

            “Don’t you dare threaten me!” Yugi spat defiantly, “My family may have been on the verge of bankruptcy, but we Rocheforts still have our connections to royalty.”

            “What you’re saying is that you have friends in high places is that it?”

            “You can do whatever you want, but if you start heaping fake charges on me, you’ll be ostracized from the rest of society for the rest of your life!”

             _‘He’s quite the little fox,’_  the detective muttered to himself,  _‘Sneaky &*%$!’_ “If that’s how you want to play…” He then began to walk away, motioning for the boy to follow. “This way.”

            “Monsieur Atem…”

            “You want to save that kid don’t you?” Atem called back, “It’ll be on my conscience too if anything happens to her, you know.”

            After hiring a taxi, the two look-alikes arrived at a small unfrequented graveyard. Yugi gulped nervously, but followed his guide into one of the mausoleums. “Well this is it,” Atem said turning to see the boy hovering near the door, looking as if he’d bolt any second. “Scared aren’t we?” he said teasingly.

            “W-What are we doing here?! T-This is a-a tomb!”

            “So?” he asked, going to one end of the stone sarcophagus. “Get the other end would you?”

            Shaking terribly, Yugi obeyed and with unsteady hands helped his taller companion to slide the lid off. “Y-You really just a grave robber aren’t you?”

            “Enough with the jokes Yugi!” snapped Atem, letting his end of the heavy lid crash onto the flood with a tremendous boom. The poor boy cried out at the noise and the man’s hateful sounding voice.

            Being one of those who couldn’t turn away when seeing something scary or repulsive, Yugi timidly peeped into the sarcophagus to see a staircase leading down into the earth. “S-Stairs?!”

            Meanwhile, Atem had rummaged around and lit a lantern he’d stashed there earlier. “It’s rather dark down there so you’d better use this,” he said handing it to the boy. “But don’t turn it up too much.”

            Taking a very deep breath, Yugi let himself be led down the stairs and into an underground passageway. “It’s kinda moldy don’t you think?” he said, sticking as close to the man in front of him as was comfortable for him.

            The detective ignored him, instead continued on for a few more feet before speaking again. “There’s all kinds of these passages around Montparnasse,” he explained, “Like a whole other set of streets only underground. This one will take us straight to their hideout.”

            “This feels like a wall,” Yugi said placing a hand against the wall, feeling something hard instead of dirt. Turning the lantern up, he saw that his hand had been resting on a stack of human skulls. The boy let out a shriek, nearly fainting dead away.

            “I warned you,” Atem said, chuckling slightly as he caught him. “These are catacombs. In the Middle Ages, they made the path by packing bones tightly together.”

            “I-I never heard that before,” the boy stammered, turning the lantern back down again. He made a mental note  **not**  to touch anything again.

            About half an hour later, they arrived at a door. Atem then quickly went to work on the lock and within minutes had it undone. Yugi cautiously pushed the door open, praying there were no thugs, or worse, behind it. He released the breath he’d been holding when he caught sight of blonde hair as Rebecca looked up at the squeaking door. He put a finger to his lips, silently telling her to be quiet incase the ‘Black Hand’ was anywhere nearby.

            “Yu-gi?” she whispered hopefully. The old man beside her groaned slightly at her voice.

            “We’re here to save you,” Yugi whispered back, as Atem went to work on her grandfather’s chains. You really should make people worry about you, you little imp.” He then lightly poked her nose and gave her his best smile. Rebecca giggled and playfully smacked the hand away.

 

***********************************************

 

            “Lady Mai! It’s terrible!” a rough looking man shouted as he ran into the hideout’s main room. The blonde woman looked up from filing her expertly manicured nails.

            “What’s with all the fuss?” she drawled, clearly annoyed.

            “Um…you see…” the man explained nervously, knowing the fate for those who fail. “There’s um… no jewels.”

            “WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE’S NO JEWELS?!” she screamed, causing all the men around her to immediately back away.

            “I-I’ve looked over that thing a hundred times,” the man stammered, shaking, “If Hawkins did trade the cash for jewels, then he must have hidden them in a different bear.”

            “How dare he think he can make a fool of me!” she spat venomously and promptly stormed out the door.

 

***************************************

 

            “Hurry Yugi,” pleaded Rebecca, “Grandfather needs help!”

            Atem had managed to free one wrist and was working on the other when he heard approaching footsteps and they didn’t at all sound too happy. “Someone’s coming!” he hissed “Hide!”

            Yugi grabbed Rebecca and ran to where they’d been hidden by the door when it opened. Atem was almost there, just a few more seconds and he’d have the old man free. However, luck was most definitely was  **not**  being a lady tonight. Just as he had finally gotten the last chain off, the door burst open, revealing an irate Mai and one of her many thugs.

            “What’s goin’ on?!” the burly man demanded upon seeing Atem.

            “Rebecca, run!” Yugi whispered, seeing Mai’s attention was distracted. “Get him out of here!” he called to Atem, making the criminals focus on him.

            The thug glared at the boy, drawing his gun and pointing at him, “You little punk!” he growled.

            “YUGI!” screamed Rebecca as the man’s gun went off.

 

~TBC~


	6. Chapter 6: Petite Rebecca's Case Part 4

            Yugi winced in pain, grasping his arm, blood seeping through his fingers.

            “YUGI!!!” screamed Rebecca at seeing her ‘brother’ get shot.

            “R-Rebecca…” he gasped, “Run down that tunnel, I’ll be right behind you!” The little blonde looked torn between staying with her injured friend and escaping. The taller boy gave her a pleading look, seeing that Atem had successfully managed to escape with her grandfather. Biting her lip, Rebecca let out a stifled whimper then made a mad dash for the still open door.

            “You ain’t getting away!” the thug shouted, turning to point the gun at the girl. Yugi screamed and ran at the man. With what could have only been sheer, dumb, luck, the petit boy managed to kick the gun from the man’s hand, causing him to drop it and cradle his now badly bruised hand.

            “You imbecile!” Mai spat and rushed after the now fleeing boy only to trip on the hem of her dress and crash into her henchman, knocking them to the dirt floor in a tangled heap.

            After several moments of running, Yugi leaned against the wall, panting when he saw the detective waiting for him. “D-Did they make it?” he asked, worriedly.

            “Both the old man and Rebecca are waiting up ahead. Are you all right?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at the blood stained sleeve of the boy’s shirt.

            “I-I’m fine.”

            “I just can’t get you,” the man said, shaking his head.

 

*******************************************************

 

            Meanwhile, Mai was screaming her lungs out, frustrated that she’d been saddled with such bumbling idiots for henchmen. “Move it you snail brains!” she yelled at the scrambling men, “They’ll get away if you don’t get the lard out!”

            “B-But we ain’t go no lights, ma’am,” one thug stammered. Meanwhile, the other thug was still desperately searching for his gun. “Where’s the damned gun?!”

            “Why me?” Mai moaned, rolling her eyes upwards.

 

*****************************************************************

 

            Yugi paused, noticing that the passage he, Atem, Rebecca, and Monsieur Hawkins were using looked a bit different. “I don’t think we’re going the right way,” he said to his taller look-alike. “I don’t remember it looking like this.”

            “We’re using a branch tunnel,” the detective explained, “I want to make it hard for them to catch up.” Yugi said nothing else, it did make sense.

            A few more minutes later, the old man stopped suddenly after feeling no air under his foot. He stumbled back slightly, knocking a pebble loose and sending it off the edge of what appeared to be a cliff.             “Not to be a bother or anything,” he said, looking rather pale, “But our path seems to drop rather suddenly here.”

            Yugi cautiously crept forward and widened his eyes at the precarious drop they’d almost missed in the dim lantern light. “Did we take the wrong branch?” he asked. Rebecca glared along with her ‘brother’ at the detective.

            “I honestly didn’t know that was there,” Atem defended, “I’m the one who’s trying to save you remember?” Sighing, he led them back toward the main path.

            “They ain’t down here!” came a not so friendly voice from their original path. “You check down dat way!”

            “Damn!” cursed the detective.

            As if one cue, a burly thug appeared a few feet behind them. “Oi!” he shouted “I found ‘em!”

            Both Yugi and Atem lunged at the man, simultaneously kicking him in the face. The man fell back, hitting his head against the wall and denting it before slumping unconscious to the floor. The petite blonde let out a whistle in awe. “Nice work,” the old man said appreciatively.

            “Monsieur Hawkins, Rebecca!” Yugi said, dragging the girl, “Let’s get out of here!”

            “Not so fast, hon,” Mai said cocking her gun as she they attempted to flee down the man passage.

            “Mai!” the old man cried in apprehension.

            The petit boy let out a frustrated yell and ran over to the blonde woman. “Yugi!” Atem shouted, unable to stop the crazed boy.

            “W-What do you think you’re doing?!” Mai screamed as Yugi grabbed onto her arms, preventing her from shooting them.

            “Go!!!!” he ordered, desperately trying to hold onto the now struggling woman. Atem then grabbed Rebecca and darted back down the dead end again.

            “Don’t just stand there?!” bellowed Mai, “Get after them!”

            “Yes ma’am!” replied the first thug, drawing his gun.

            “No use, we’ll have to jump,” Atem said when they reached the cliff. He then prayed that there was something to land on at the other side and leapt over the crevasse. He let out his breath upon reaching solid ground once more.

            “I’m not leaving Yugi!” Rebecca cried refusing to budge. Letting out an extremely annoyed huff, the detective leapt back across and scooped up the kicking and screaming child before leaping across yet one more time.

            “YUGI!!!!” she screamed as she saw the boy get conked on the head by the butt of a thug’s gun. Seeing that the boy couldn’t be helped, Monsieur Hawkins leapt across the pit, stumbling a bit before finding his footing on the other side.

            “You… You idiots!!!” screamed a now  **very**  irate Mai, “How could you let them get away?! They were right there and you dunderheads let them go!”

            “It ain’t our fault,” the thug muttered, “How was I supposed t’know they do somethin’ like that?!”

            “Now we’ve got to clear everything out of here because of you,” Mai grumbled.

            “You want me ta get rid of ‘im?” the thug asked indicating the unconscious Yugi.

            “Don’t be a complete fool!” she snapped, “He could be useful to us. Pick him up and get moving.

            Nodding, the henchman grabbed Yugi and slung him over his shoulder as if he were nothing more than a sack of potatoes.

 

*********************************************

 

            Later, Atem had safely escorted Rebecca and her grandfather to Noir’s mansion and was now discussing – or rather, arguing – about what to do about Yugi.

            “So what?” spat the thief, “He ran off on his own. It’s  **his**  fault for getting caught!”

            “That may be true,” agreed Atem, “But wasn’t that kid in your care? Aren’t you being a bit harsh?”

Noir glared at the detective, hating how he was able to guess at the thief’s true feelings. “Yugi only got captured because of  **you**!” he yelled, “You had to go and put crazy ideas into his head! It’s because of that, that I now have more annoyances to deal with. Since when did I look like a  good Samaritan?!”

            Atem let out a loud laugh, “Oh that’s a good one! A corrupt loan shark turns into a Samaritan! Now I have even more respect for you Bakura Akefia Courland.”

A vein popped on the white haired man’s forehead. “I just had enough of you Atem Khemet! Leave!”

            “My, how cold!” the spiky haired man said with mock hurt, “Well, I guess I’ll have to save that poor boy all by myself. Please forgive me for wasting your precious time.” He then stormed out the study and heading for the front door.

            “Monsieur Atem!” called Rebecca as she ran down the stairs, “I-I’m coming too! Big Brother Yugi’s gonna die if we don’t hurry!”

            “That’s why you’ve got to stay here, petite. Don’t worry I’ll definitely save Yugi.”

            “You shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep,” Noir said coming to investigate Rebecca’s shouts. “Besides, it looks like they fled the coop. How do you think you’ll find them now, Monsieur Oh-so-clever Detective?”

            Atem bristled at the insult to his abilities. “I’ve… I’ve got some ideas,” he said, not so confidently.

            Sighing, the thief shook his head. “Malik!” he called.

            “Yes?!” the blond boy answered, coming from the kitchen.

            “Show our ‘guests’ out will you? You know the ones you-know-where. I bet they’ll lead us right to a lovely pair of amethysts.”

            “You got it!” the Egyptian chirped.  _‘Don’t let this get to you,’_  he scolded himself.  _‘Can’t let Noir see I’m still not right with all this._  “I’ll have Rex and Weevil tail them.  _‘He’s your boss!’_ he chided,  _‘Just your boss. Besides, he’s not like **that**!’ _ He then fled into the house in search of the two henchmen.

            “I can’t thank you enough, Monsieur Courland,” Rebecca’s grandfather, “But I don’t think I should be troubling you like this. I never meant to get innocents like you involved. If you don’t mind, I’d like to report to the gendarmes now. It’s about time I paid for my misdoings.”

            “Don’t be a fool,” the thief said coldly. “The gendarmes have their hands in the ‘Black Hand’s’ pockets. You’re just as trapped as Yugi is.”

            “Aren’t you even concerned one bit for your friend?!” countered the old man.

            “Yugi’s fine,” he said nonchalantly, “Rishid bring ‘it’ here will you?” he asked a tall bald Egyptian man with tattoos on one side of his face.

            “Yes sir,” Rishid replied.

            “’It’?” Hawkins asked curiously.

            Within moments, the tall Egyptian returned, carrying a stuffed bear.

            “Teddy?! But didn’t Mai say she had that?!”

            “I found this fellow’s eyes interesting so I pulled a switch. Sorry about that kid,” he added to the glaring girl. “As long as they believe we have the real bear, Yugi won’t be harmed.”

            “B-But,” stammered Rebecca, “I threw them away in the Seine! Those pretty rocks were bad! They made Grandfather change! If they went far away, Grandfather would go back to normal.”

            “Rebecca…” the old man said, hugging his crying granddaughter.

            “I put pebbles in Teddy,” she went on, “i-it’ll be bad for Yugi if they find out!”

            Noir stared at the sobbing girl for a few minutes before grinning like a Cheshire cat. “Want to see a trick?” he asked. The girl looked at him, confused then gasped as he ripped the bear’s head off. Reaching inside, he pulled out a handful of jewels, much the surprise of both.

            “I’m a loan shark,” admitted the white haired man, “But I don’t just give money out. Only as long as the interest piles up.”

            “You don’t expect me to pay for those, do you?!” Hawkins queried indignantly.

            “Because of your mess, Monsieur Haawkins, I’ll be losing money. Add them to Yugi’s debt,” he said and Rishid nodded silently making a note. “He really screwed up this time, to think he’s the only one caught.”

             _‘I’ll get my precious living amethyst back,’_  vowed the thief,  _‘If he’s going to be destroyed, it’ll be at my own hands! No one else’s!’_

 

~TBC~


	7. Chapter 7: Petite Rebecca's Case Part 5

            Yugi sat tied to a rickety chair inside one of the ‘Black Hand’s current hideouts –  the cellar of a rather dark and dingy looking house that was clearly abandoned, and for some years by the look of it.

            “My aren’t we a cutie,” the blonde cooed, peering maliciously at the boy, “You’re almost like those fancy dolls you see in shops these days. Just look at those nails,” she said roughly grabbing one of his hands. “They’re so perfect. You put us women to shame.”

            “W-What are you…” he asked shaking at the mafia leader’s apparently evil grin. She ignored the boy and produced a rather nasty sharp looking bit of wire. His eyes widened as she placed the wire extremely close to the underside of one of his ‘perfect’ nails. He couldn’t help but gulp, realizing what she was about to do.

            “You’d better tell me!” she snapped, “Where are the jewels?!” When she received no answer, she pressed the wire a bit more under the nail, making the poor boy cry out at the sharp pain shooting up his finger.

            “I-I DON’T KNOW!” he screamed. “How many times do I have to tell you?!”

            Mai continued to smile maliciously as she shoved the wire deeper again only to quickly pull it out. A bloodcurdling scream shortly followed afterwards. Yugi whirled his head to the side unable to stand the sight of the wire piercing the ultra sensitive flesh under his nails.

            “Watch her!” shouted one of Mai’s henchman and roughly grabbed the spiky hair in one meaty fist, forcing him to look at the blonde woman.

            “You look simply delicious when you’re like this,” she cooed again, “Hmm… what shall we play with next? How about those pretty little eyes of yours?” She was about to shove the wire into one of the now frantic and tearing amethyst eyes when another of her henchmen came running into the room.

            “Sorry fer intarupting yer fun, miss, but Raphael and Amelda are back.

            She turned and glared at a tall blond gorilla of man and a slightly shorter man with short red hair. “And just where have you two numbskulls been?! I swear you’re completely useless!” She was about to rant some more, but the sound of approaching feet outside the street above them drew her attention.

            “What’s up boss?” Amelda, the redhead asked.

            She promptly slapped him, leaving scratches where her sharply filed nails struck the skin. “I can’t believe you! You let yourselves get followed!” she screamed.

            Just then, there was a sound of a door being forced open above and a voice ran out through the house. “Paris Gendarmes!” shouted a man, “We have information that this is a hideout for the ‘Black Hand’ crime syndicate. We have orders to search the premises.”

            “Damn!” cursed the first thug, drawing his pistol.

            “We’ve no choice,” the second said, following his partner upstairs.

            “Shoot first!” said an officer, “they’re dangerous!” Several shots rang out as they spotted the two men coming from the cellar. The fight was over in minutes, since both men weren’t in the best of shape – due to Noir’s “hospitality”.

            “Where’s the woman?” asked the officer in charge, the one who gave the warning, “She’s the leader! Find her!”

            “Inspector!” shouted yet another officer. The inspector whirled around to where the deputy was pointing and saw a small ship moving down the Seine, away from the house.

            “Get some to follow that boat!” he demanded. The gendarmes scrambled out of the house to obey, dragging the two criminals along with them.

 

            “Care to tell me just what the hell happened back there?!” Mai ordered, ignoring the struggling bound boy for the moment. She cocked her gun, aiming at Amelda, the redhead from earlier.

            “F-Forgive us boss!” he pleaded holding up his hands and backing away only to be halted by the boat’s railing. We’ve been caught all this time! I-I didn’t know we’d be followed! Honest!”

            The blonde mafiosa frowned, “What do you mean caught?!” she asked, narrowing her violet eyes.

 

            The Inspector turned to a shorter man with multicolored spiky hair as he supervised the arrest of the remaining ‘Black Hand’ members. “I’d like to thank you for your cooperation, Monsieur Khemet. It’s a pity that woman boss got away. However, I do assure you that this should be a nasty blow to their Paris base.”

            “As much as I’d like to accept your gratitude Monsieur le Inspector, I can’t take credit for someone else. You really should be thanking Monsieur Corrupt Loan Shark. It was he who gave me the information.”

 

At Noir’s

            The white haired thief suddenly sneezed(1). He frowned, putting down the book he’d been reading and rubbed his nose. “Must be catching something,” he muttered.

            “Oh, you’re in here boss!” Rex said coming into the study. “We found this in the street,” he said holding up what appeared to be a necktie.

            Noir’s eyes widened, recognizing the piece of fabric. “That’s Yugi’s!” he said quickly snatching it from the two toned brunet’s hands.

            “We found this card with it too,” he said handing over a slip of paper.

            “How clichéd,” spat the thief and began to read it, his frown growing with every word.

            “Beg your pardon, sir, but what of me, Count Courland,” Monsieur Hawkins queried.

            “Don’t call me that, I never did like titles,” the thief said putting the tie and card into his pocket. “I’ll be frank with you, what will you do?”

            The old man sighed, continuing to sit in one of the study’s plush chairs. “I’m not going to hide any longer,” he said after a few moments of silence. “As a grandfather and the only parental figure in her life, I must set a better example for Rebecca, by doing the right thing.”

            The thief nodded sympathy. “I don’t blame you. If that’s what you really want, then I have a favor to ask of you. They want the jewels you hid in the bear or they’ll kill Yugi.” The former bank head hung his head in shame, he’d never intended for complete strangers to get involved in his mess. “They’re demanding that  _you_  bring the jewels – alone I might add – to the place written on this card.” He then took out the card again and handed it over to the older man.

            “T-They want  _me_  to do it?” he asked, holding the card in shaking hands. Noir nodded. “That is frank. I suppose you think I should go to the tower then?”

            “That is if you want to change your mind. It’s up to you.”

 

            Footsteps hurried on the floor of the Eiffel Tower, a stuffed bear was clutched to the figure’s chest as he made his way to his assigned meeting place. He couldn’t shake the feeling of increasing doom with every step he took, his instructions running over and over in his head.

_“At exactly_ _2 pm_ _, take the elevator up the tower,” the white haired man began, “Once it stops, go down the ramp at the main junction. That’s where the transaction will take place.”_

            “Oh darling!” cooed Mai evilly, “You’re such a good man, bringing me such a cute little present!” The blonde smiled, but refused to release her grip on Yugi’s arm, her nails digging into the fabric of his shirt.

            “Here are the jewels,” Hawkins said, holding up the stuffed bear. “Mai,” he pleaded in a last attempt to persuade his wife to see reason, “think about what you’re doing! Stop this foolishness!”

            The blonde laughed haughtily, quite amused at this fool of an old man. “Don’t be ridiculous old man,” she spat, then eyed the bear suspiciously. “That’d better not be another fake,” she warned, shaking Yugi slightly to make her point.

            “N-No!” he pleaded, “This is the real one! Please let the boy…” Not, satisfied, Mai moved a bit closer to the edge of the platform, dragging Yugi along. With shaking hands, he then ripped off the bear’s head. Within moments, a rainbow of jewels cascaded from the now mutilated toy.

            “OH… MY!” the mafiosa cried in glee as the gems hit the floor, her eyes lighting with avarice.

            “Monsieur Hawkins!” Yugi cried as he was handed over to Raphael, who promptly had the boy in a vise like hold.

            “Once we’ve collected all the jewels, you can have the cutie,” Mai said approaching the sparkling pile, “Try anything and he goes over.” At his mistress’ nod, Raphael pushed Yugi against the almost no existent railing, ready to shove the boy over should he be commanded to do so.

            “I-It’s all yours,” Hawkins stammered, “Take it.”

            She and Amelda rapidly gathered up the gems and shoved them back into the bear. She began to laugh and chuckle maniacally (think Madame Medusa from Rescuers) as she clutched the bear close to her ample bosom. “Now that that’s done, we no longer need you Arthur dear.”

            Amelda drew out his gun, aiming at him. “Consider this your divorce notice,” he said.

            “Monsieur Hawkins get down!” Yugi shouted before breaking from Raphael’s grip and rushing the redhead. He hit Amelda with full force and managed to cause the redhead to stumble and miss his target by miles.

            “Yugi lad!” cried the elderly man, warning him about the angry blonde gorilla heading his way.

            “Damned brat!” growled Raphael as he rammed into the boy and knocked him down pinning him to the metal floor.

            Amelda by that time, had regained his balance and was now pointing his pistol at the pinned boy. “Since you wanna die with the old man, I’ll start with you!”

            Suddenly there was a strange thudding noise, distracting all of them.

            “What is that?!” Mai called, having been snapped out of her jewel induced mania.

            “The elevator just started all of the sudden,” Raphael said not getting off the boy, there was no way he was going to let the brat get away this time.

            They all stared as the elevator made its way back down. Suddenly there was whoosing sound followed by a loud crack. The pistol in Amelda’s hand went flying as the redhead cried out in pain.

            “You really are an annoying b*^@^ you know that?” said a man’s voice. All eyes leapt to the top of the elevator where a very familiar white haired man sat, a rather feline smirk on his handsome face.

            “Noir!” Yugi cried, overjoyed.

            “Did he just say… Noir?!” Mai sputtered, truly surprised, “The Phantom Thief?!!”

            The thief then leapt off the elevator and knocked them aside before jumping off the tower and grabbing hold of a rope ladder they hadn’t noticed hanging some feet away. He held out an arm toward the spiky haired boy. “Yugi!” he shouted, “Jump!”

            “Stop him you idiots!” Mai shouted as the boy ran and jumped off the Eiffel Tower. The thief swung the rope ladder and deftly caught the boy one armed before hurriedly pushing him onto the ladder. Yugi scrambled over him and clung to a rung a foot above the thief.

            “How many times do I have to tell you not to make me worry like that,” Noir said in mock anger. Yugi glanced down at the thief, blushing at the fond look he was receiving.

            Winking at the blushing boy, Noir then cracked his whip towards the blonde who was now back in her gem induced stupor. The bear suddenly went flying from her hands as Noir yanked his whip back and quickly caught the mutilated toy.

            “M-My treasure!” she whined, starting to sob.

            “Pardonnez moi, Madame,” the thief said smirking, but I think Teddy doesn’t want to go home with an old hag like you.”

            “H-How dare you! You thief!” she spat and began to storm up to him.

            “Boss!” yelled Amelda, trying to alert her to the shouts from below.

            “I believe you have some interesting gentlemen callers waiting to see you Madame,”

            “C-Che?!! (What in Italian BTW) The mafiosa glanced over the side of the tower and saw an enormous horde of gendarmes gathering at the base of the tower. “G-Gendarmes?! She then smirked remembering who had taken her precious gems. “It doesn’t matter,” she spat defiantly. “You’re in the same pickle. There’s no way out of this.”

            “Oh no!” Noir retorted in mock fear, placing a gloved hand on his forehead. “Whatever shall I do?”

            “Is that…” a gendarme officer said, staring at the sky in awe as he stepped off the elevator, “a zeppelin?!”

            Indeed a zeppelin sat hovering off to the side of the Eiffel Tower, two figures too far away to be recognized quickly made their way up a rope ladder hanging from it. “Always have backup!” Noir called and waved as the zeppelin started to sail away.

            “Y-You’re abandoning Monsieur Hawkins?!” Yugi said, appalled.

            The thief placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder, “Since the ‘Black Hand’ did everything, he’ll probably get away without even being charged for anything. If that’s what he wants.”

            “Hey! Aren’t you the missing banker, Monsieur Hawkins?” asked another gendarme who had arrived with the first one.

            “Just what in God’s name happened?” the Inspector asked.

            “My treasure!” Mai sobbed again trying to escape the grip of a couple officers.

            “I was involved in all this,” Monsieur Hawkins explained, “I won’t resist, I’m turning myself in.”

            “Hmph!” Yugi muttered, miffed by Noir’s callous behavior, “You don’t care about anyone as long as your precious jewels are safe.”

            “Jealous are we?” Noir asked, his face inches away from his, making the boy blush yet again.

            “N-No!” he stammered, “Why would you think that?”

            “Really now?” Noir then yanked the gems from the headless bear and lovingly kissed them before throwing them off the zeppelin and onto the streets of Paris.

            Yugi stared in complete shock. Noir had to be insane! No one in their right mind would throw away a small fortune of jewels like that! Ever! “W-What did you do that for?!”

            The thief smirked at him, smugly. “Just returning peoples’ deposits for Monsieur Hawkins,” he raised the boy’s head, tilting it slightly, “D’accord(understand)? These amethysts are more valuable to me than those ugly pebbles.” Yugi trembled as the thief smiled before placing a kiss on each eyelid.

            “N-Noir…” he sputtered, flustered and blushing redder than the reddest ruby.

 

Back in Noir's mansion...

            “’More valuable than those ugly pebbles,’ he says,” Yugi grumbled as he stared at the IOU the thief handed him. “You really are a corrupt loan shark!” he shot at Noir who was now reading another book, “You added ALL those gems to my debt!!”

            “You shouldn’t worry so,” Noir retorted, not looking from his book, “I’m giving you a low interest rate. I’m not really so generous, so you’d better be grateful, brat.”

            “Don’t tease my Yugi, you big meanie!” Rebecca said dumping a flower pot on the thief’s head.

            “Yugi,” Noir said in a sickeningly sweet tone, “Just what is  _that_  still doing here?!”

            Yugi smirked back, desperately holding in the giggles threatening to escape his mouth. “Well, we are in charge of her until her grandfather comes back, right Rebecca?”

            “Yup!” she said, smiling and planting herself in Yugi’s lap.

            “Mind telling me who decided this?” the white haired thief said, his patience dangerously thin now.

            “Don’t tell me you’re jealous of a  _twelve_  year old girl,” the spiky haired boy shot back.

            “Hmph! Like I really care!” he spat as he shot up from his comfy seat and stormed from the study, slamming the door behind him.

            Yugi couldn’t help but laugh.  _‘He’s jealous of a twelve-year-old!’_ Looking down at the sound of muffled sobs, he saw that the girl had tears in her eyes.

            “I-I decided I won’t cry anymore,” she sobbed. “If I’m not happy all the time, grandfather will worry…”

            Yugi rubbed the girl’s back soothingly. “You’re a very strong, girl Rebecca,” he said letting her snuggle against him.

            “Noir?” Malik asked seeing his master hovering around the study door.

            “I hate to ask you this, but give Rebecca’s bear back his eyes,” he said handing the Egyptian two bright blue gems.

            “Who are you and what have you done with Noir?!” he demanded in amazement. Noir almost NEVER gave up anything. The thief shot his helper a look that said, ‘I’m dead serious here.’

            Malik nodded, though he was still shocked. “These are star sapphires aren’t they?” he asked looking at them in awe.

            “In the orient, they’re sometimes considered good luck. But for people like you and me, they’re  _bad_  luck. Or maybe it’s different for everyone,” he mused as he walked away, leaving a very confused blond.

 


	8. Chapter 8: The Dragon of Maghreb

            A spiky haired boy lay in a stupor on the silver and blue divan, thick smoke poured from the hookah on the floor nearby.  _‘It’s sweet...’_ he thought as the smoke curled around him, caressing him like a lover,  _‘this… scent… why can’t I see?’_  He didn’t acknowledge the shadowy figure as he came over and tightly gripped the boy’s chin.  _‘I feel so numb. I can’t… move.’_  In a momentary lapse of reason, a pair of icy blue eyes broke through his equally cloudy mind.  _‘Blue… eyes...’_  The boy’s violet eyes flashed in recognition but quickly clouded over once again as the hand gripping his face drew it closer to the noxious smoke.

            “Go ahead,” purred the man, smiling evilly as he brought the pipe connected to the hookah to the boy’s mouth. “I know you want it,” he coaxed, smiling broadly when the boy obeyed and breathed in more of the evil stuff. “That’s it. Nice and slow.”

             _‘Why...’_  the boy asked, desperately trying to keep his mind together as the drug raced through his system more quickly.  _‘Why is this happening?’_

 

One Month Earlier… Noir’s mansion, Paris

            “What’s up Malik?” Yugi asked as he watched the blond Egyptian ran about the mansion squealing happily every few seconds or so.

            “Didn’t they tell you?” a little blonde girl with pigtails asked, smiling excitedly. “We’re going to someplace called Morocco! And on a super classy ship too!”

            “Gotta pack!” Malik gushed. “Hmm… what should I bring to wear? I know! Nah. How about…” Yugi shook his head at the hyper blond and smiled as Malik shot up the stairs to pack.

            Yugi knocked on the study door and opened it when he got a gruff response of “Come in,” from the thief inside. “I got the book you ordered,” he said handing him the book, still wrapped up plain brown paper and twine.

            “Thanks kid,” he said, giving the tiniest of smiles as he cut the twine with the letter opener and ripped off the packaging.

            “’Creative Evolution’?” Yugi said, reading the title. “That’s an um… interesting title.”

            “Just something I thought I might like,” the thief said beginning to read.

            “You won’t believe this,” Malik said coming in after giving up on packing his clothes for now. “But Noir was the valedictorian at the Sorbonne when he graduated. And he was only fifteen! He really is a genius!” The blond couldn’t help but puff up with pride at his master’s scholastic achievement.

            “Fifteen?!” Yugi replied, flabbergasted. “That young?! You really are full of secrets aren’t you?” The spiky haired boy couldn’t stop himself from laughing. “I wonder what your parents think of you now. They must be embarrassed to have a son like you.”

            Noir glared at the boy then threw the book to the floor. He then shot up from the chair, if looks could kill, Yugi’d be dead by now. “Don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong,” he spat. Go get packed, we leave in two days.”

            “S-So soon?” Yugi stammered backing behind Malik for protection. “Why are we going to Morocco anyway?”

            “An old friend of mine called in a favor. He paid for everyone here, but I don’t think you’d be interested,” the thief teased.

            “Wow! I didn’t know you had friends Noir!” Yugi said, surprised to find out another of the thief’s secrets.”

            “Actually…” the thief began, growing a bit wistful, “He’s more like my older brother.” Noir’s eyes grew distant as memories of his childhood surfaced.

 

Flashback, Morocco

            “From now on, we’re brothers, ‘kay ‘Kura?” a slightly taller boy with short brown hair said as he cut his wrist with his knife. He then did the same to the smaller white haired boy and pressed their wounds together, mingling their blood as it seeped down their arms. “We’ll split everything fifty-fifty. We’ll always be together.

 

End Flashback

 

             _‘I haven’t forgotten our blood vow,’_  the thief said as he watched the land slowly approach the ship.  _‘Not until the day I day… Ezhdar.’*_

            “Ooo!” Malik cried excitedly, “That’s Tangiers isn’t it?!”

            “Yep. We made it all the way to Africa,” Rex said, eager for whatever the exotic continent promised. “Haven’t seen Yugi though. He shouldn’t be missing this.”

            “He’s in his cabin,” chuckled Weevil, “The shrimp looked kinda green.”

            “Damned spoiled brat,” Noir grumbled, then went off to tell the boy they’ll be docking soon.   

            “You okay?” the thief asked, entering their shared cabin, concerned for the seasick boy.

            “I’m a lot better. I’m really sorry I’ve bothered you with this sea sickness. I’ve never been on a boat trip like this before.”

            “You really are something,” he groused good-naturedly, “Always causing trouble for me.”

            “I said I was sorry!” the shorter boy said, pouting, “I didn’t know I’d get this sick!”

            “I know a good remedy for that,” Noir said, mischievously as he leaned closer to the boy, their noses almost touching. A scarlet blush leapt onto Yugi’s face at the thief’s forwardness.

            “I-I’m still sick!” he protested, “B-Besides I-I’m not like that!”

            “Really now?” Noir purred, “What a pity.” He then scooped the boy up in his arms and started carrying him up to the deck. Yugi let out a surprised yelp, but didn’t struggle. He didn’t want to risk the man dropping him. Several of the other passengers were staring at the couple as they passed by.

            “B-Bakura! Put me down!” the boy pleaded, his face ruby red in embarrassment at the amused stares. “T-There are people watching!”

            Malik’s eyes bugged out of their sockets when Noir came over to their group of lounge chairs and gently placed the boy on one.  _‘He never did that for me when I was sick,’_  Malik whined silently, his hands clutching into tight fists.

            “The best thing for seasickness is fresh sea air,” Noir said, failing to notice the blond’s jealous glares.

            “I bet you want Noir to carry you too don’t you, Malik?” Rebecca said, innocently.

            “Don’t so precocious!” Malik said, blushing profusely as he whapped the girl lightly on the head.

            “You see that Yugi?” the white haired man said gesturing to the still far away land, “That’s Morocco. France fought like mad for its resources and now it’s theirs – the country at the west end of Maghreb, land of the setting sun. Those who first lived here were left alone. But now… the strong prey on the weak. That’s the way of things. You’ve got to be strong if you want to live Yugi. Very…” the thief’s voice trailed off, a rather pained and haunted look came over his face.

            “Noir?” Yugi asked, concerned for the man’s sudden moodiness.

            “It’s nothing,” he spat rather sharply. “I lived here when I was a kid. Just being sentimental all of a sudden, forget it.”

             _‘He lived here? As a kid?’_ Yugi could hardly imagine the cynical thief ever being a child. He had to stifle a giggle as he pictured a cute chibified version of Noir, cape, mask and top hat included.

            “We’ll be docking in a couple hours. I’d make sure to be ready if I were you – once you’re feeling better that is.” He then went off in search of something to do. He’d been packed and ready once he heard the crew mention land had been sighted.

 

Tangiers

            “It’s sure is jumping, ain’t it boss?” Rex said as they forced their way through the bustling crowd of sailors, tourists, merchants and various other sorts of people.

            “Tangiers is the world’s most important free port after all,” Noir replied, his eyes never leaving the crowd for an instant. He knew all too well of the not-so-nice sort of people who liked to prowl the overcrowded docks. “It’s the hub of world-wide trade. Stop gawking or you’ll get yourself lost for good,” he said, more to the spiky haired boy at his side than his henchman.

            Yugi snapped out of the awe induced trance he was in and noticed that they were one person short. “Rebecca?” he called, but couldn’t see the girl anywhere.

            “What’s wrong Yugi?” Malik asked, seeing the alarmed look on his face.

            “I don’t see Rebecca. She was here a second ago.

            “This isn’t good,” the Egyptian said frowning, “We’ve got to look for her.

            “What are you talking about?” Noir asked, coming over when he saw the two weren’t following him like they were supposed to.

            “Rebecca’s gone,” Malik said dead seriously.

            “I’m going to check back at the ship,” Yugi said, then dashed off into the crowd.

            “Damn it Yugi!” shouted a very irritated thief.

            “Boss?” Rex asked, having missed the conversation do to the distraction of several exotic looking girls gossiping nearby.

            “Noir?” Malik asked, unsure of what to do.

            “Stay put!” he ordered, “And don’t you dare move from this spot! That goes double for you too Malik!” The tanned blond pouted, but obeyed. He knew all too well not to disobey an order from his master when he got like that. “Damn it! Why does he have to be so damned headstrong!” With that, the thief ran off into the crowd after Yugi.

            Further into the city, Yugi called for the girl as he wandered aimlessly searching for her. “There you are!” he cried as he caught sight of two golden pigtails.

            “Yugi!” the girl said, running over to him and crushing him in a bear hug.

            “Thank goodness you’re safe,” he said, letting out a sigh of relief. He startled when he saw three Arab looking men staring at them. He gulped nervously, pulling the girl closer to him. After what seemed an eternity, the men smiled, nodding in greeting as they silently passed them by. “Whew! That was close. I thought they’d try to sell us off or something. It’s hard to read foreigners here. Where are we anyway?” He looked around and saw that they were nowhere near the docks.  _‘Oh no,’_  he moaned inwardly.  _‘He’ll kill me for sure this time.’_

             _‘What an idiot,’_  Rebecca said,  _‘I should have known he’d be naïve enough to get lost too.’_

            “Don’t move,” Yugi whispered sharply. Suddenly three cloaked men came into the alley where they were and swiftly surrounded them.  _‘I don’t like this one bit.’_  There was a sudden crack as one of the man lashed out with a whip, making the two jump in fear.  _‘H-He’s good.’_

            “F*#^!” one of the men spat in a language Yugi couldn’t understand.

            “Fall back!” said the other, seeing the whip was about to strike him again.

            “Rebecca, run!” Yugi whispered, “Go find Bakura.” The girl nodded then ran off into the crowd again. He too started to run, but he stopped shortly when he heard the man with the whip call after him.

            “Wait!”

             _‘Did he just speak French?!’_

            That split second of hesitation was all the cloaked stranger needed. He grabbed onto the boy’s arms and whirled him around. Yugi found himself mesmerized by the bluest eyes he’d ever seen.  _‘I feel like I’m drowning in the ocean,’_  he thought,  _‘They’re so blue!’_

“Yugi!” the girl shouted, “I see Bakura coming!” She started back toward him.

            “Rebecca! Go! I’ll be fine!” he pleaded struggling in the iron grip he was still in.

            “Rebecca!” Noir called running up to them. “What’s going on?” His eyes narrowed into hard slits at the sight of the spiky haired boy in the grasp of another.  _‘A blue cloak?!’_ The stranger let go of Yugi, causing him to stumble into the thief’s arms.  _‘What’s a desert trader doing here?!’_  The thief then shook his head, dismissing the next thought,  _‘It can’t be…’_

            “So he’s yours is he?” the man asked in fluent French.

            “Who are you?” the white haired man countered, glaring at him.

            “I’m ashamed you’ve forgotten me so quickly, Bakura,” the man said removing the cloak and veil from his head, revealing neat short brown hair

            “I should have known it’d be you, Ezhdar,” he said in relief. He really didn’t feel like fighting for the boy,  **yet again**. He then let go of Yugi and gave the taller man a hug.

            Smiling warmly, Ezhdar returned the hug. “I know I said I’d pick you up at the docks, but I had to take care of some idiotic business.” Yugi and Rebecca stared at the two, wondering why someone who looked like a foreigner like them was dressed like a desert trader. “I’m glad you could come, my friend. So how long has it been? What five… six years?”

            “Six. It’s good to see you, Ezhdar.”

            Yugi blushed while Rebecca giggled and cat-called the two since they’ve yet to stop hugging each other. Noir glared at them, earning a smirk from the taller of the two. “Gee, I didn’t know you had a boyfriend!” the girl beamed.

            “He’s not my boyfriend!” sputtered the thief, blushing as red as Yugi now, “He’s my brother!”

 

Fez, Morocco…

            “I feel like I’m in the ‘Arabian Nights’!” Rex said in awe as Ezhdar led them through the city streets.

            “My house is right through here,” the tall brunet said, making sure his guests were still following and close together. “The streets are like a maze here, so I’d stick together if I were you, that is if you  **want**  to get lost.”

            “Look, Ezhdar,” Noir started, “If you really don’t want us staying with you, we can always find a hotel to stay at. Fez may not be as big as Tangiers, but I’m sure we could find somewhere to stay.”

            “And they say I’m the cold one,” Ezhdar said, chuckling. “They’re your friends aren’t they? Then that makes them my friends too. Besides, there’s plenty of room.” The brunet smirked in pride as they stopped at a large mansion. Rex’s, Malik’s, Rebecca’s, and Yugi’s eyes widened at the opulent estate. “Won’t you come in?” he asked cordially, holding the door open for them. “You’ve got to be tired from such a long trip. Come and relax everyone.”

            “Okay, Ezhdar, spill,” Noir said taking in the elegant furnishings and décor. “What did you do to get a place like this?”

            “Just what are you implying?” he said, narrowing his eyes slightly. “I’m just a businessman who’s got good instincts. Rather dull compared to you wouldn’t you say, Monsieur ‘Phantom Thief Noir’?” The thief’s eyes widened in shock, the smirk never leaving his friend’s face. It wasn’t till much later that he’d remember that smirk and how much it reminded him of a snake. If only he’d thought that then.

            Later, the two met in Ezhdar’s private study while their host distracted the rest of the thief’s entourage with fine music and some very exotic dancing girls. “You’re getting rusty,” the brunet scolded, “You let your guard slip.” Noir frowned at his friend, trying to figure out how he found out about him. He was dead certain he did  **everything**  possible to keep his thieving habits separate from his social life.

            “I could still go to the French authorities,” the brunet started again, making the thief tense up his ‘brother’s’ threat. “But I’m not going to, I’m not obligated to  **those**  people anyway. The main reason is because, everything you know,  **I** taught you.”

            “Ha! I knew you’d never go through with it, ‘Zura. But I’m warning you, if you dragged me all the way here just to ‘catch up’ I’ll be really p.o’d.” The brunet just sat down at the mahogany desk, saying nothing. “You’ve got business with the ‘Phantom Thief’ I take it then?”

            “I see your brain hasn’t deteriorated along with your guard,” he replied, “I have a very curious object I’d like you to have a look at.”

            “So what is it? It’d better not be any junk.”

            “I assure you it is anything but,” the man said getting up and going over to a glass case with a book locked inside. Taking a key from his blue robes, Ezhdar unlocked the case. Taking the book out and placed it on the desk. The thief eyed it curiously, but waited for him to explain further. I want you to examine is some ancient writing in this book which, I happened to come across.” He held up a hand when the thief wanted to ask something. “I’ve come to believe that it may be quite valuable since my life has been put in danger several times ever since I purchased it.”

            “An ancient scroll huh?”

            “Yes. I’m sure you’ve heard of the Knights Templar?” The thief’s brow rose, his interest piqued. He nodded, indicating for his friend to go on. “Well, this book is written in a code I believe to be used by the order. I would like to know if it tells where they hid their fabled treasure.”

            Noir’s hands itched to grab the book from the brunet. Ezhdar smirked, seeing that the bait had been swallowed.

 

~TBC!!!!!~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:  
> *Ezhdar is Persian for dragon BTW.


	9. Chapter 9: The Dragon of Maghreb Part 2

            “I believe my life is in danger,” the blue eyed man said.

            “Because of ‘this fabled treasure of yours’ I take it,” the white haired man added.

            “Yes, I was lucky enough to know someone with a half decent brain in their head and acquired this book for me. As you may know, sometime during the Crusades, Europeans would make pilgrimages to the Holy Land,” the brunet began. His white haired companion nodded, indicating he was listening, though he already knew this story. “They needed protection from bandits and other ‘undesirables’ of course, so a few knights were assigned to escorting these pilgrims, they were to be later known as the Knights Templar for their main base was on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. As a result, the first banking system was created allowing pilgrims to retrieve their money at the end of their journey after depositing it in Europe. It was because of this that rumors started going around that these knights had not only gained ‘special privileges’ but immense wealth as well. The king of France, Philip, grew jealous and coveted their treasure for himself. He wrote to the pope spreading malicious lies about the knights, claiming that they had turned their backs against god and had begun engaging in acts of devil worship and many other activities outlawed by the church.

            The pope then gave Philip permission to arrest them and sack every single one of their strongholds. Many of them were tortured into ‘confessing’. Those who didn’t were burnt at the stake, quite a few of them cursing their tormentors.”

            “How typical,” spat Noir, “Royalty will always find some excuse to steal and kill. Devil worship my arse.”

            “Exactly,” Ezhdar said frowning in disgust, “Philip had managed to seize most of their holdings. However, according to popular belief, a few knights had managed to escape persecution and took what remained of their vast treasure and hid it somewhere, where it still lies, untouched in centuries.”

            He reached into a drawer in the desk they’d been sitting at and pulled out a yellowed scroll. The thief’s eyes widened at the still pristine condition it was in considering how old the scroll seemed to be.

            “That is…”

            “I was most fortunate to obtain this as well,” the blue eyed man said handing it to his friend.

            Taking it with careful hands, he unrolled it and began to peer over the ancient writing it contained. “What the?!” he said surprised to find what was written, “This looks like it belongs in the Bible.”

            “There is an old fortress in France, Les Andelys I believe it was,” explained Ezhdar, “It’s been believed to be a former bases for the Knights Templar -- or to be more precise, where the last of the order ran to.”

            “So that would mean…”

            “That the people after me are most probably their descendants and that the ‘fabled treasure’ is no fable.”

            “So why all the fuss?” Noir asked, “This really isn’t your type of thing.”

            “I guess I’ve got too much time on my hands,” was his friend’s enigmatic reply.

            “I don’t come cheap you know,” the thief warned, “Especially if I’m going to have a bunch of Templars after me.”

            “I’m asking you as a favor. After all we’ve known each other since we were kids. You’ve filled out nicely by the way Bakura, you were so thin back then.”

            “Yeah, well it’s all because of you,” the thief said, blushing slightly at the rare compliment. “I really do owe you for that eye of yours.” He glanced guiltily at the right eye hidden behind a patch of silvery blue. “When that happened, you scolded me real good, told me to move it and get out. I never did get to pay you back for saving my arse.”

            “Why, Bakura,” Ezhdar said raising an eyebrow, “what’s gotten into all of a sudden? This isn’t like you. I merely wanted to see just how good the famous ‘Phantom Thief Noir’ really is.”

            Noir blushed again, but quickly recovered now that he’d been given a challenge. He never could resist a challenge, especially if treasure was involved. “Just you watch old friend,” he boasted.

 

********************************

 

            Malik stood in the courtyard a few feet from a window were a certain white haired thief was busy peering over something he couldn’t see. He was so intent on watching his master, he hadn’t noticed he wasn’t alone until the rustling of branches jolted him out of his reverie and making him gasp.

            “Ah!” a spiky haired boy cried, also startled.

            “Don’t sneak up on me like that!” chided the Egyptian, recognizing the newcomer.

            “Sorry, I didn’t know you were here.” He turned to leave, sensing that the blond had wanted to be alone.

            “Yugi!” he called, causing the shorter one to pause, “I’d give my life for him,” he said making the other stare at him, puzzled at the sudden confession. “I do as he says because of that. So that I can say with pride that I’m one of his followers.” The blond whirled around sharply and glowered at the shocked and confused boy. “You’re just a pretty pet!” he spat, “So don’t think I’m going to lose to you!”

            “M-Malik…” he tried, but the Egyptian quickly stormed away. Yugi sighed, unable to alleviate the blond’s unfounded jealousy, nor soothe the apparent tears that had been glistening in his lilac eyes. He was about to run after him when he heard Noir’s voice.

            “Yugi!” the thief called, “I know you’re out there, I need you for something.”

            Sighing again, he headed in the direction of where Noir was staying.

 

*********************************************

 

            “What’s wrong?” the thief asked noting the distracted air around the smaller boy. “I know Malik was out there with you, what did he say?”

            “I-It’s nothing really,” Yugi replied, trying not to get the blond into trouble as well as his startling confession.

            “You sure? He’s been acting weird lately. He’s gotten rather touchy about for some reason.”  
            “Um… What do you think of Malik?” the spiky haired boy asked after several awkward moments of silence. There was another awkward silence, for the thief had been unprepared for that question.

            “You know I have no interest in those I can’t rely on right?” Yugi nodded, “Well, he’s someone I can trust. So much so that he’s almost like a younger brother.”

            “So you don’t…”

            “Just what are you getting at Yugi?” the thief said, eyeing him accusingly. “I don’t have time for this nonsense. Besides, relationships are way too much trouble.”

            “Oh.”

            Was that a hint of disappointment he heard? The thief however, promptly shrugged it off, like he said, he didn’t have time for this.

             _“He acts like a jerk a lot,”_  Yugi mused to himself,  _“But I wonder what’s really going on in his head. It’s like he’s still a kid. And they think **I’m**  the kid.”_ He had a rather hard time stifling the giggles that started coming from his mouth.

            “You’re starting to creep me out here,” the thief said, glaring at the still giggling boy.

            “Oh, sorry Noir. Is that what you came all the way here for? To study?” he asked, finally noticing all the books and papers all over the large table in the room.

            “It’s a favor for Ezhdar.”

            “Oh! Hey that looks like…” Yugi picked up a rather ancient looking scroll trying to decipher its contents. “Is this part of the Bible?!”      

            Noir nodded. “It’s from the New Testament. But it’s all jumbled whoever wrote this hashed stuff from Luke, Mark, Matthew and put it together.”

            “Wow! You sure are smart. But didn’t they all say the same thing basically?”

            “Look here,” the thief said, pointing to a hastily scribbled note. On it were a series of numbers. Yugi stared at the note, but it might have been as undecipherable to him as the ancient hieroglyphs of Egypt. “I think that whoever wrote this used the chapter and verse numbers as a sort of code. It looks like they were using a very simple form of cryptography.”

            “Cryptography?”

            “Look at it this way, you can take the letters of the alphabet and treat them as twenty-six numbers, it’s really a basic code. A is 1, B – 2, C – 3 and so on.”          

            The shorter boy still didn’t get it, but chose to keep silent. “It’s really rare for you to do something for someone else. I thought you only did things on your own.”

            Noir glared at the boy again, but ignored it. “He’s special.”

            “Is it because you grew up here together?”

            “He’s more to me than a ‘brother’. He was the only one I could trust, my best friend, brother, and teacher. Back then Ezhdar meant the world to me.”

            Yugi stared amazed at the reverent tone the thief had just used describing their host.

 

****************************************

 

            A half hour later found Yugi back in the courtyard, musing over all the thief had confessed.  _“I just don’t get him some times. I can tell there’s more to this Ezhdar but Noir’s not telling. Why do I get this feeling there’s something dangerous about him. There’s something about that blue eye of his.”_

            Catching the sound of movement nearby, he spotted several shadowy figures prowling the courtyard.

             _“I wonder what’s going on, it’s the middle of the night. People don’t just show up this late, and through the back gate yet.”_

            He quickly covered his mouth, for he was about to give out a shocked gasp, and ducked out of sight. Even though all the figures were wearing cloaks, there was no mistaking the golden blonde hair of one of them.

             _“That’s Mai!! What’s she doing here?! What’s the ‘Black Hand’ doing here?!”_

            Seeing that they were about to enter a door, he quickly dashed to a nearby window and hid.

            “I really owe you for getting me out of the Paris prison, Kaiba hon.”

            Peaking over the windowsill, he spotted the blond and her thugs as well as an unmistakable blue eyed brunet.

             _“Why’s Ezhdar meeting with her? Doesn’t he know who she really is?!”_

            “The Kaiba name isn’t to be used lightly, madam,” Ezhdar scolded, “Besides, it’s my father you should be thanking not me.”

             _“Kaiba?_ _But isn’t his name Ezhdar? Wait a sec, where have I heard that name before? Kaiba...”_

            “It would appear that you were misled.”

            “Just what are you getting at hon?” came Mai’s confused voice.

            “Just what made you choose to flee to here, now of all times. There are plenty of places for you and your kind to hide.”

            “Hey! I got intel from America to shack up with you. So don’t get tetchy with me,  _Mister_  Kaiba.”

            The brunet sighed, trying to keep his temper in check, “Look it’s not good for you to stay here right now. That is if you’d rather run into Noir again.”

            “W-What?!!” she shrieked. Using his ‘guests’ shock as a distraction, he surreptitiously opened one of his desk’s drawers.

            “He’s staying here. It has come to my knowledge that he knows your face. Is that correct?” He cocked the pistol he snuck from the desk and aimed it at the woman. “So you see, your staying her would be quite the inconvenience, Mai  _hon_.”

            Mai let out a barking laugh. “You can’t kill me you fool! I’m your father’s…”

            “Whore, I know,” he spat icily and fired the gun. The bullet whizzed by her head, just missing it by mere centimeters.

            “Boss!” cried her henchmen, darting between the brunet and her.

            Within seconds, several of Ezhdar’s guards burst into the room. Many of them were carrying guns and scimitars.

            “Leave now and I just might spare you,” the blue eyed man said coldly.

             _“I’ve got to tell Noir!”_ Yugi thought and started to dash toward the guest quarters. However, it was at that moment that Mai chose to dart from that part of the mansion and crash into the spiky haired boy.

            “M-Mai!” he stammered. The blonde was holding onto her arm, red seeping between her fingers. “E-Ezhdar!” he called again. “It’s Mai! She’s still alive!” He was so scared and flustered that he never saw the figure come up behind him and knock him down.

            As he struggled to get up, he saw Ezhdar shove Mai onto the ground and shove a pillow over her face. Taking the pistol from before he fired a shot into the pillow, muffling the noise and killing the blonde.

            “You really shouldn’t wander around late at night,” the brunet said, yanking Yugi back up. “You never know what evil things you’d run into here.” Yugi began struggling, only wearing himself out and causing the much taller man to smirk evilly. Ezhdar reached into his robes and pulled out a tiny sphere like object. “By all means, go ahead and fight. Scream even, if you like, I won’t hesitate to kill you too,” he said as he put the sphere into his mouth.

            Yugi immediately froze, not wanting to get killed in spite of his desperate need to get to Noir. Still smirking, the brunet grasped the shorter boy’s head and kissed him forcefully, prying his lips open with his tongue.

            “Good boy,” he said releasing Yugi only to rub his throat. “That’s it, swallow. It’ll all be better real soon.”

 

 

*****************************

           

            At the other side of the mansion, Noir shot up suddenly from his work as if someone had called him. Glancing at the door he could still hear his men partying it up. Shaking his head, he went back to his work. “I could have sworn I heard Yugi calling me just now,” he muttered. “But it’s just those idiots again.”

 

********************************

 

Back with Ezhdar and Yugi…

            The blue eyed man continued to smirk as the boy in his arms slumped and fell unconscious.

            “Want us to get rid of him Master Ezhdar?” asked one of his henchmen.

            “N… oir,” Yugi whimpered subconsciously.

            The tall brunet continued to smirk as he gazed at the beauty he now held. “No,” he said after a few more moments of staring and stroking the surprisingly soft spiky hair. “Take him to my room. He is a guest after all and must be treated as so.”

            The guard said nothing as he gingerly took the boy from him, but he shared his master’s smirk. He knew just how he treated those ‘guests’ who were allowed to see his private chambers.

 

 

~TBC!!~


	10. Chapter 10: The Dragon of Maghreb Part 3

            The boy groaned as his eyes struggled to open.  _‘What happened? Ugh! I can’t move,’_  he thought as he continued to struggle awake, then the events of the previous night hit him.  _‘I remember now! I saw Mai and Ezhdar… then he...’_

            Just then the tall brunet came into the room, smirking as he watched his ‘guest’ struggle on the divan. “I wouldn’t try to move yet,” he warned, “The drug I gave you is still in effect.”

            “Y-You’re working for the Black Hand!” the boy accused, fighting against the man’s arms as he helped him to sit up. “Wh…y?!”

            “What makes you think I’m working for them?” Ezhdar said smugly, “How could I, when I was one of those who started that organization.”

            “You’re betraying Noir!” the spiky haired boy yelled, “He respects you! He looks up to you!”  _‘Noir… he’ll be crushed when he finds out.’_           

            “Do you know what my policy is?” the blue eyed man asked as if he were commenting on the weather, “Get rid of those who interfere and use those who you can. Bakura is still useful to me.”

            Yugi was incensed.  _‘How dare he do this to Noir!’_ He managed to curl his hand into a fist, he lashed out at the taller man, but the drug only made him sluggish and sloppy. With the quickness of a snake, Ezhdar caught Yugi’s wrist, pulling him against him.

            “My, my,” he sneered, “I am impressed, that you could have such strength left over.” Yugi started struggling again, not liking the man’s leering gaze one bit. “Go ahead and fight little one,” he said, enjoying the boy’s fear, “That is if you wish to hurt your friends. There are quite the few Black Hand guards here. And even if Bakura were to figure it out, do you think he’d be able to do anything if I hold his precious friends hostage?”

             _‘So that’s why Ezhdar insisted Noir bring everyone!’_

            “You wouldn’t want that now would you?” the brunet asked sitting on the divan, placing the smaller boy into his lap. He reached to the side of the divan and brought up an odd looking tube like thing. He brought it to the boy’s mouth and forced him to inhale whatever was connected to the tube. “Don’t you think you should keep quiet about this, hmm? It’s only Bakura’s skills I want after all.”

             _‘W… why can’t I… say anything?’_  Yugi asked as the drug started to race through his petit body.

            “That’s it,” Ezhdar purred, rubbing his hand under Yugi’s shirt, “Just relax, let me take care of everything.”

             _‘A sweet… smell…w…what?’_  Yugi’s body soon went limp against the taller man. The brunet smirked triumphantly as he saw that the drug had finally taken hold of his little prey completely. He stood up and almost lovingly carried the boy over to his bed, placing him down gently onto the blue and gold sheets. Laughing inwardly to himself, Ezhdar began to remove his robes.

            “Forget it all,” he murmured into Yugi’s ear as he slinked onto the bed next to him and started to undress the smaller boy.

             _‘I… It’s hot… N-No…No..ir!’ _Yugi’s mind cried, trapped as his body refused to obey his frantic commands to fight.

 

*******************************************

 

            Meanwhile, Malik knocked on Noir’s door, a tray laden with food carefully balanced on one arm. “Noir?” he called, “I brought you some breakfast, you never did come out to eat.” When he got no answer, the blond silently opened the door.

            He couldn’t help smiling at the sight before him. Amongst the books and papers strewn all over the room, sat the white haired thief, his head resting on the table on top of an open book. Soft snoring could be heard coming from the passed out thief.

            “Aww, cute,” the Egyptian whispered to himself carefully placing the tray down so he wouldn’t wake his master.  _‘Poor Noir, he’s really pushing it, even though he can do most anything. It is kinda rare to see him like this though.’_ He was about to leave when he brushed against a book that was sticking halfway off the table, causing it to fall with a soft thud which startled the white haired man out of his sleep. “Oh!” Malik said hastily apologizing, “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

            “Malik?” Noir asked, yawning loudly, “Is it morning already?” He stood up and stretched, wincing slightly at the loud cracking sounds coming from his spine. “As awesome as I am, this is one tough code.”

            Curious, Malik went over and peeked at the scroll on the table.

            “Whoever wrote this knew what they were doing,” the thief explained, “It’s a multi-table equation that uses chapter and verse numbers from the Bible. Once you find out the repetition frequency and conversion table, it’s easy to solve.” He then picked up a sheet of paper with hastily scrawled writing on it and began to read out loud. “’The star of the Queen’s new capital, while working on the site of the sanctuary, connecting with the deceased Holy King MCCLXX, unable to display the great gold treasure in her hand.’”

            “Wow!” Malik crowed in awe, “I didn’t know you’d be able to decipher that so fast!”

            “It’s no good if I don’t understand what it means,” Noir said frowning. “Wait a moment,” he said reading it over yet again for the umpteenth time. “It’s another code. ‘The Queen’s new capital… Could that be Quart Hadasht?”

            “Quart Hadasht?” Malik parroted, “That’s Carthage right? If I remember right, isn’t there a legend about a Phoenician queen founding Carthage? And Quart Hadasht does mean ‘New City’ right?”

            “Good thinking Malik! That’s it! Carthage is ‘The Queen’s new capital!”

            “Well… I was living there for a while,” the blond said blushing profusely at the praise. “I just wish I didn’t have anything but bad memories of it though. After all that’s where I was sold to.”

            “Malik…” Noir started, remembering how the two had first met.

            “But still, if I hadn’t been sold, then I’d never have met you. Thanks to fate, I got to find someone who saw me as a person and not some piece of meat. You gave me a place.”

            The white haired chuckled slightly. “You were like a wolf boy back then.” Malik had been so feisty and wild when he’d ‘acquired’ the blond from the brothel his own parents had sold him to.

            “Oh shut it!” Malik said good-naturedly. “Noir?” The thief looked at the blonde, nodding for him to go on. “I-I love you,” he stammered, blushing once more, “I have ever since that day. I love you so much that no matter how many lives I may have had, it’d never be enough.”

            Noir’s eyes bulged out of their sockets at the blond’s shocking revelation. It was so sudden that he found that he couldn’t move or speak, he was so blown away by the blond’s passionate words.

            “I-I just wanted to tell you that someday.” The Egyptian hastily wiped at the tears threatening to fall from his lilac eyes, “I-It’s okay, I’m fine now. I’m glad I got to tell you.”

            “Malik… I—“

            The blond placed a hand on the thief’s lips. “I said, I’m fine. Just don’t say anything. I just wanted to put my feelings in order. Being jealous of this and that kinda makes you feel stupid.”

            Noir stood there for a bit longer, still perplexed by the Egyptian’s behavior, neither saying anything. Malik started to leave when his master stopped him. “Malik…” he tried again, “Did something happened between you and Yugi?” Malik just smiled then darted from the room humming to himself. “Malik!” Noir called after him.

 

************************************

 

            The white haired man frowned, staring at the door. “Just what is going on with that kid?” he muttered to himself, “Sometimes I just don’t get Malik.” Shaking off the confusion brought on by the blond Egyptian, he knocked on the study door. “Ezhdar?” he called, “I’m coming in.” Pushing the door open, he saw that the book his friend had shown him had been put back into its case and that the study was completely empty. “Hmm… I’d be sure he’d be here.”

 

***************************************

 

Meanwhile…

            Smoke curled about the room as the brunet dressed for the day. “It’s hard to believe I was your first,” he said to the naked boy still lying on the bed, “I was lead to believe that you French aristocrats were used to such play. Especially a pretty thing like you.” He ran a finger down the boy’s chest making him shiver in a mix of lust and revulsion. “So sensitive,” he said smirking at the boy’s stifled moan. “Thanks to the opium, you’ll soon be my slave. You’ll be begging me for more, my little Yugi.” Yugi cringed and backed away as far as he was able, angry and ashamed at what they had done. “You may come and go as you please,” Ezhdar said, going to leave, “Just remember, stay quiet and none of your friends will have to suffer.”

            “Y-You monster!” spat the boy.

            “Thanks for the compliment,” he said smirking, “I am the Dragon of Maghreb after all.”

 

 

****************************************************

 

            Noir frowned in disgust at his carousing men. It seemed that their host had yet again arranged for some ‘entertainment’. “Oi boss!” Rex called, grinning like a madman, a veiled girl hanging onto his arm. “Have a drink!”

            “Yeah!” piped up a rather inebriated Weevil, “Eshda gave ush wine!”

            “Where is he?” snarled the white haired man, earning a pout from the girls lounging with the two. One of them pointed to another part of the room and he turned to see the brunet lounging on a divan with several scantily clad women draped over it and him.

            “Bakura my friend!” he called waving the thief over, “Were you looking for me?”

            “Yeah, I was wondering if I could talk to you, thanks for the wine by the way,” he added, sarcastically. He really didn’t need his men incapacitated when he might need them soon.

            Nodding, Ezhdar shooed the women away, earning him many pouts and whines of protest. “Sit. So what is it you wanted to talk about?”

            “I was able to break the code,” the thief said, sitting, “But it makes no sense. But I’ve got the feeling that it may be another code.” He handed the translation he had written over.

            The brunet stared at it for several moments. “Hmm… ‘The star of the Queen’s new capital’? Quite a mystery we’ve got here.”

            “I don’t understand it that well, yet, but the ‘Queen’s new capital’ may very well be –“ Just then, an irate Yugi burst into the room and stormed over to the blue eyed man. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared as the crack of flesh meeting flesh echoed throughout the room.

            “Yugi!” Noir demanded, rising from his seat and grabbing hold of the boy’s arms. “What the hell’s gotten into you?!”

            “Let me go!” the boy shot back, fighting the thief’s hold.

            “It seems our fair princess is in a nasty mood this morning,” Ezhdar quipped.

            “G-Go to hell!” Yugi shouted venomously, spitting at the man’s amused smirk.

            “Yugi! Stop this instant!” Noir ordered.

            “Shut it Noir!” snapped the spiky haired boy.

            “Y-You filthy little guttersnipe!” The thief had had enough. He shoved the boy against the wall and slapped him. Hard. There was a clatter of a falling cup as Malik stared in shock at his master’s behavior. It seemed that their boss’ anger had also sobered up the men, who were now staring as well. They had never seen him so angry. “You’d better explain yourself real quick Yugi, I’ll not have you insulting Ezhdar like this!”

            Yugi let out a tiny squeak, but said nothing. The two stared at each other for several tense moments, until Yugi managed to break away and run off deeper into Ezhdar’s mansion.

            “Yugi! Get back here and apologize!” yelled the white haired thief.

            “He certainly is a handful,” the taller brunet said amusedly.

            “Ezhdar, I’m sorry,” Noir apologized, “I’ll have to get back to you. He looked kinda ill.”

            “That’s what I like about you, ‘Kura, always willing to help others,” he said in dismissal, “Take as long as you like. I’ll still be here.”

 

******************************************************

 

            Noir had managed to catch up to the spiky haired boy, who was now standing in the middle of their host’s gardens, his hand on his still sore cheek and stifling sobs.

            “I hit you pretty hard,” Noir said, making the boy jump, “Let me see.” He grabbed the boy’s wrist and made to pull the hand from the cheek only to receive a slap of his own. “Or maybe not,” he said, still holding the boy’s arm. “Damn it, Yugi. What was that for?! Revenge?! You happy now?”

            The smaller one blinked a few times, staring at the thief as if it were the first time of ever seeing him. “Ah! I-I’m sorry,” he mumbled shamefully, “I just don’t want anyone touching me right now. You trust him that much don’t you?”

            “How many times do I have to tell you,” the thief said, letting go, hurt by the boy’s statement. “We’re like bro—“

            “But that was a long time ago!” Yugi interjected, “People change, Noir. It’s been what… six years since you last saw him?”

            “Just what are you getting at?”

            “That person doesn’t deserve your loyalty. He’s nothing but a—“ Yugi quickly clammed up as he caught sight of a blue eye watching them.

            “Go on, finish what you wanted to say,” Noir said icily, glaring at the boy.

            “Forget it. You never really care about what I have to say anyway.”

            “No I want you to finish it. I want to hear what you have to say about a man you know  _nothing_ about.”

            “You’re right. I know  ** _nothing_**  about your past! But so do you! You’re nothing but a total idiot!” The boy then dashed away, leaving the thief stunned by his emotional outburst.

            “Yugi!” he called when the initial shock had worn off. “Yugi!”

            The brunet smirked inwardly in triumph as he watched his ‘brother’ head back while forcefully kissing the petit boy in his arms.

            “I just don’t get him either,” the thief muttered as he passed by.  _‘Those weren’t the tears of a jealous spoiled brat. Just what is going on here?’_

*************************************

 

Back in Ezhdar’s rooms…

            Yugi whimpered as the hookah was pressed against his lips. “What a good boy,” the brunet purred, “Though I’m a bit disappointed with your behavior this morning.” He frowned, making the boy cringe at the intense stare of the man’s single blue eye. “Noir and your friends were lucky I was able to stop you in time. The next time you decide to act up, remember that it may cause your dear friends a lot of pain, and we don’t want that now do we?”

            Yugi nodded woodenly, the opium quickly spreading through his system.

            “Good boy,” he purred again, leading the boy back to the bed.

 

 

~TBC~


	11. Chapter 11: The Dragon of Maghreb Part 4

            The tall brunet lounged lazily on the divan, taking leisurely puffs on the hookah beside him as the bells and calls from the nearby mosques drifted in from an open window. “Aren’t you going to prayer?” the much shorter boy asked from the bed, shaking but not from fear.

            “I’m not a Muslim,” he replied coolly, “besides, it’s just useless drivel for mindless fools who can’t decide things for themselves.”

            “You’re really smug, do you know that?” the boy shot back, grabbing hold of the dagger the taller had carelessly left on the nightstand.

            “Just enjoying life,” Ezhdar said, not bothering to look at his ‘guest’ and taking another puff.

            “Please!” cried the boy creeping over to the divan, “I can’t take it, give me some too!”

            The blue eyed man raised an eyebrow, amusement clearly written on his face. “Don’t you think you’re hamming it up a bit too much?” he retorted, enjoying the little one’s torment.

            “I-I’ll do anything! Please Ezhdar, I’m begging you!” He then reached for the hookah only to have his wrist snatched in a vise like grip. Within moments he found himself pulled against the man’s chest.

            “You’re such an adorable little thing,” the brunet said before forcing Yugi’s head up and ravaging his mouth with his. Yugi fought the urge to retch and let the man to continue kissing him. A few moments later, he jerked away, bringing the dagger around towards the man’s chest. With the liquid movement of a snake, Ezhdar smacked the blade from the smaller boy’s hand, sending it clattering to the floor and sliding across it as he kicked it.

            “Nice try boy,” he said, smirking evilly, “I did however, enjoy this little act of yours.” He titled the boy’s head upward again, his single eye boring into Yugi’s violet ones. “Has he ever told you that your lovely eyes become even more lovely when you’re excited like this?” Yugi in spite of the intense shakes he was still suffering from struggled against the man’s tight grip. “Or that they almost turn into sapphires when you’re drunk with pleasure? Oh yes, it’s fun to see you dyed in my most favorite color.”

 

**********************************************

           

            The blond Egyptian sighed. They were partying again, some were even passed out on the floor, dead drunk from the strong wine their host had provided.

            “Ya know,” slurred a man with brown and lavender hair, “Dat Eshdar’s a strange one.”

            “Hyo-hyo-hyo, you got that right,” his mint green haired companion replied, equally smashed.

            “Hey itsh Yu-chan!” the brunet said noticing the spiky haired boy stumbling into the hall. He quickly steadied himself and caught the boy before he fell over one of the unconscious men. “Kids like ya shouldn’t be drinkin’ ‘fore noon.”

            “You okay, Yugi?” Malik asked worriedly as he took him from Rex. They led him to a group of cushions nearby and made him sit.  _‘This smell...’_  he thought, recognizing it instantly. “I want a straight answer Yugi,” the blond said, looking him in the eye, not liking the glassy sheen to them. “Did you get yourself mixed up in something bad again?”

            The slightly shorter boy giggled. “What makes you say that, Mal-kun?”

            “Answer me Yugi! I know you’ve been using opium, my father reeked of that crap! Just before he sold me, he looked like a monster. That’s the devil’s drug!”

            Yugi let out a mirthless cackle. “That’s right,” he said, still laughing, “Devil… because I share the devil’s bed.”

            “Yugi,” the Egyptian said with immense pity, drawing him into a fierce hug. He didn’t know the exact circumstances, but he could tell the boy needed serious help. When he had finally passed out from the stress and withdrawal symptoms, Malik rose and left to get Noir, not without leaving strict orders not to let the boy out of the henchmen’s sight.

 

*****************************

 

            “Yugi’s been doing what?!” the white haired thief bellowed, “Have you been drinking with those idiots?!”

            “Of course not!” Malik shot back, “If you don’t believe me, then go see for yourself! We’ve got to do something before the addiction gets any worse or else Yugi’ll be doomed!”

            Noir frowned as he began pacing the room.  _‘It’s true I worry about him, and he has been acting strange since we got here. Still…’_

            Just then Rex burst into the room, the effects of the wine having finally worn off. “Boss!” he shouted, causing him to pause in mid step, “The guys and I can’t find the kid anywhere!”

            “Hey he here or not?” Weevil asked coming over. He cringed at the death glare he and Rex were currently receiving. “I-I guess not,” he stammered before dashing off to continue his search for the spiky haired boy.

            “Have you checked his room?” Noir asked icily. Rex could only nod, unable to speak at the moment. “He’s not there?” another nod. “Then where’d he disappear to?” A cold chill ran down his spine.  _‘Just what is going on Yugi?’_

            “Is something the matter Bakura?” Ezhdar asked after noticing the rather frightened Rex shivering out in the hallway.

            “We can’t find Yugi. Have you seen him?”

            “Yugi? If I’m not mistaken, I believe I saw him go out of the house not too long ago. I admit it is a bit odd, but then Fez can be quite fascinating to foreigners. I’m sure he’ll be back before night fall.”

            “Is that so?”

            “You don’t believe me?” the brunet asked with mock hurt.

            “Nah, I’m just a bit curious about something right now.”

            “Oh?”

 

*******************************

 

            “Yugi, Yugi,” tsked Ezhdar, “I thought you were smarter than this. But if you want him to know that much, I can always ask Bakura to join us.” The spiky haired boy glared at him from the bed, anger and shame swirling in the boy’s amethyst depths. “Oh, but you don’t want him to see you like this now do you? It would seem you still have a bit of a mind left.”

            “Just shut up and kill me,” Yugi said defiantly.

            “Do you really want your precious Bakura to grieve? He does adore you so,” the brunet said mockingly.

            “He only keeps me because I owe him money,” was the boy’s bitter reply.”

            Ezhdar let out a barking laugh. “Is that what you truly believe? Well, then allow me to get rid of that nasty debt for you.” He then went over to the desk opposite of the bed and took out his checkbook, making sure the boy saw it. “I can free you from Bakura. However, there is a slight catch.”

            “Which is?” he asked still glaring.

            “You must never show yourself to him again. Bakura belongs to me, and I don’t like to share.”

            “Wait a minute!” Yugi said, only just then realizing what the brunet had hinted at earlier, “Are you saying that Noir keeps me around because he  _likes_  me?!”

            Ezhdar continued to smirk as he wrote up a check. “It’s decided then? You may go wherever you please now.”

            Yugi stared at the check, shocked that this evil man had just freed him from the only home he had left now. “W-Why?” he stammered, his hands unable to move and take the slip of paper, “If you were going to do that to begin with, you should have sent me away before!”

            The taller man laughed again, the sound sending icy fingers down the boy’s spine. “Bakura treasures you, little one. I couldn’t resist stealing you from him. It really is a shame I no longer have any use for you,” he said laying a hand on the boy’s cheek, making him flinch. He then tossed Yugi’s discarded clothes at him. “Get dressed. I don’t care where you go, just make sure you don’t come back.” Ezhdar didn’t bother to look back as he calmly strode from the room.

            Crystalline tears flowed down Yugi’s cheeks as he woodenly obeyed.

 

***************************************

 

            The spiky haired boy leant heavily against the wall as he struggled to make his way down the streets of Fez in search of somewhere to find help.  _‘I feel so heavy,’_  he thought, tying his best to stay upright.  _‘Just what is that devil trying to do? That eye of his…’_  he pressed his back to the wall as the shakes started up again.  _‘like a demon’s. I-I’ve got to warn Noir somehow!’_

 

********************************************

 

Meanwhile at Ezhdar’s…

            “Just how are you planning on standing there, Monsieur Phantom Thief?” the tall brunet asked with a chuckle, not looking up from the papers on his desk. “I’m impressed that you’re able to find your way around so well after such a short time.”

            “Just followed you,” the thief said coming out of the shadows. “I want the truth, Ezhdar. Yugi’s pet brat, Rebecca said that there’d be no way he’d go out by himself, and she’s right. I know for a fact that he’s got no sense of direction.”

            “Calm down, ‘Kura. I’ll get some of my men and track him down. He can’t have gotten too far.”

            “Quit lying Ezhdar! What’s going on? Why would Yugi…”

            “He was getting annoying – and he was getting in the way,” Ezhdar said with a sigh, “Just forget about him. My men should be taking care of it by now anyway.” Noir stared at him, unbelieving what his oldest friend had just said. Then he realized what the taller brunet had just said. Yugi was in danger!

            He spun around and started for the door. There was a loud crack and the white haired man found himself crashing face forward onto the tiled floor of his friend’s bedroom.

            “Really, ‘Kura,” chided the brunet yanking him off the floor. “I already said it’s too late.

            “Move Ezhdar!” demanded the thief, pulling out a pistol and cocking it.

            “You’d aim a gun at me?!” Ezhdar said, the amusement in his lone eye belying the shock in his voice. “You? Of all people?” Noir blinked, confused at what he was about to do. That gave the taller man the chance he needed and quick as a cobra, slapped the gun out of the man’s hand before clasping it in his vise like grip. “You’ve gotten soft,” he scolded.

            Noir managed to escape the vile man’s grip and once again attempted to dash out of there. Another crack sounded and the thief found himself unable to breathe properly. Glancing down, he saw that his ‘friend’s’ whip was now wrapped around his neck and the brunet was pulling the leather cord tighter with every second.

            “W-hy…” the white haired man choked out, hands desperately struggling to loosen the dark leather coils. “Y… ou were always my precious, friend. Why… Ezhdar?”

            “You really are a fool, Bakura,” the brunet sneered, “I never did consider you as a friend. Not even once. You were just one of my men, and then when I thought you were old enough, a lovely toy I could play with as I pleased.” He then ran his hand along the thief’s jawbone, his thumb ghosting along the trembling lips.

            “Ezh…dar…”

            “Study hall is over, Bakura,” the brunet said evilly, “I’m going to destroy everything you’ve worked so hard for until there is nowhere for you to go to. Except for me.” He then let out a triumphant laugh as he watched the thief’s eyes flashed with anger, hurt, shock and then fear, the single blue eye, the last thing he saw before passing out – and he wished he hadn’t, knowing he’d be haunted by that evil thing for as long as he’d live.

 

************************************************

 

            “Hey! What’s going on?!” Rex shouted as many of Ezhdar’s henchmen stormed into the hall where Noir’s men had been living it up the past few days. Many of them had scimitars and guns pointed at them.

            “Hey! Take your hands off me!” demanded Weevil as he was being bodily dragged from the room. “Where you taking us?!”

            No one heard the slight rustling of one of the potted plants as the thief’s men began to fight for their lives.

 

*****************************************************

 

Back on the streets…

            Yugi continued to stumble along, totally unaware of the danger he or Noir was in due to the effects of the withdrawal still coursing through him.  _‘Just where am I?’_ he wondered,  _‘What should I do? I can b…arely think. It’s like my head’s been stuffed like Rebecca’s bear. Light and dark… it’s like a maze here.’_

            The spiky haired boy stiffened when he heard footsteps coming from behind. There was a quick swish sound and the boy ducked just as a knife flew harmlessly over him. He thanked whatever god was looking out for him, had he been any slower, he’d had a knife in his neck right now. The man spat out a curse, at least that’s what Yugi had thought his attacker had said.

             _‘My… my body won’t mo..ve,’_  the boy thought as he struggled to get back up. The man started toward the boy.  _‘I-I do…n’t want to die… not like this…’_

            His attacker had retrieved his knife and was now hovering sinisterly over the boy. He leered at the pretty thing, thinking his employer wouldn’t mind much if he had a bit of fun first. He was about to start slicing the boy’s pants off when approaching footsteps caused him to pause.

            “Hey you!” shouted an old man, eyeing the man suspiciously. The would be rapist and murderer ran off, unprepared to deal with witnesses.

            “Grandpa look!” said a girl with long strawberry blonde hair rushing over to the now unconscious boy lying in the middle of the street.

            The old man’s amethyst eyes narrowed at the boy in disgust.  _‘Probably another good for nothing foreigner who’s had too much to drunk,’_  he pondered. He’d rather leave the boy there to his well deserved fate, but he never could resist the pleading eyes of a child, especially those of a pretty young girl.

 

***************************************************

 

            Noir continued to glare at the brunet he no longer called friend, in spite the fact that he was the one hanging from a dungeon wall, cuts, bruises and whip marks littering his pale skin.

            “You are no longer your own person,” the man said with frustration, “You’ll come to understand that once I’ve gotten rid of everything around you. You’ll be mine again. Just like those fools seeing only Medina and Mecca, you’ll look only at me.”

            The white haired thief spat in the man’s face before letting out a choked scream as Ezhdar’s whip went flying yet again.

 

~TBC~


	12. Chapter 12: The Dragon of Maghreb Part 5

            The brunet sighed again, the bloody whip hung limply at his side. In spite of the immense pain and fatigue he was feeling, the white haired man continued to glare at his former friend, still hanging from the dungeon wall.

            “I’ll have you know I really didn’t want to do this, Bakura,” Ezhdar said, “But as long as you keep on being asinine, I’m afraid I’ll have to keep hurting you.”

            “Piss off!” spat the thief, “I may have been an idiot for thinking you were my friend, but there’s no way in hell I’ll do anything for you! Go find some other fool to solve that code!”

            The taller man just chuckled. “Why did you think I had you come all the way from Paris?” he asked. Noir glared at him again, but did want to hear this villain out.

            “You meant a lot to me,” the white haired man admitted, disappointment clearly audible in his voice, “I thought we were more than friends, more than brothers.”  _‘My childhood was complete crap,’_  he remembered,  _‘I had nothing, not even a home.’_

“If it was you who asked, I would do anything. That’s what I believed.  _‘Our gang… we looked out for each other. That was the only time I was able to let go and be the real me. Only you…Ezhdar.’_

“Now you’ve gone and betrayed me! I’m warning you, if anything happens to Yugi…”

“I was right,” the brunet said smugly, “He really means a lot to you doesn’t he? It’s not like you to be so close to one of your toys. Perhaps I should have given you some of that opium too.”

            “You bastard!” the thief bellowed, yanking on the chains in an attempt to strike at the taller man.

            “Even if you did escape, my dear Bakura, it’d be too late. I’m certain one of my best assassins has already made your precious Yugi into a nice cold corpse by now.” Noir growled and pulled against the chains again, causing the rusty metal to cut into his wrists and make them to start bleeding. “And if by some chance the boy were to still live, he’d suffer from the withdrawal. It really surprises me that you’d be so concerned for someone else.” The brunet forced his chin up with the handle of his whip so they could look eye to eye. “Maybe that’s why I wanted to steal him from you.”

            “Once I get out of here, you. Are. So. Dead,” the thief said icily, the air surrounding them dropping several degrees with the thief’s irate words.

            There was a crack followed by a swish. Noir winced in pain as the whip made contact with his already sensitized flesh. “It was those lovely eyes,” purred Ezhdar, “Of course you’d understand all about that, wouldn’t you?” Two more cracks and to more pained groans followed that statement. “Taking away your friendship and confidence won’t be enough. You’re too wrapped up in those. I’ll make you see that if you want to use someone, you make them submit! I’ll make sure that’s drilled into that pathetic brain of yours, even if it’s the last thing you learn!”

            After several moments of whipping him, the blue eyed man paused to regard his handiwork. A look of annoyance appeared on his usually stoic face when he saw that the chocolate eyes still held defiance. “You’ve really grown, Bakura,” he said slightly impressed that the man had lasted this long. “The great Phantom Thief causing such a fuss on Paris’ dark streets. Even more than a fuss than I. Look at you now, reduced to a bleeding mass of flesh, here in my home.

            “Piss… o…”

            “Time to face reality. You will behave, because if you don’t… well let’s just say it wouldn’t be pretty for your precious friends.”

            “You… bastard!” he spat, getting even more tired now, “You had this planned all a long didn’t you! What are you planning to do with them now?”

            “So you finally figured it out have you? Now that you have, I want you to say you’re mine. Your intelligence is very necessary for me. That’s all you have to do. Once you say you’re mine, your friends will be on the first ship back to Paris.”

            “Bastard…”

            “I do not like meaningless deaths, however, I do not like to wait, Bakura.”

 

*********************************************************

 

            Elsewhere in Ezhdar’s mansion, several of Noir’s men and Malik were being kept in what appeared to be some kind of storage room.

            “Oi!” bellowed Rex, banging on the locked heavy door. “Let us outta here!”

            “I want some food!” whined Weevil, earning a glare from the two toned brunet and the others.

            “Just what’s going on here?!” demanded Rex, slumping against the unrelenting door.

             _‘Noir…’_  the blond Egyptian said, utterly concerned for his master’s safety.

            “Malik?” called a voice from the other side of the door.

            Said blond shoved Rex aside and peered through the bars on the door. Standing before the door was a little blonde girl dressed in a sailor outfit. “Rebecca!” he called, surprised that he’d forgotten about her due to all the commotion earlier.

            “Hey it’s the brat!” Rex said, quickly getting over his irritation at being shoved. “Way ta go brat, ya didn’t get caught!”

            “Is Noir or Yugi with you?” Malik asked, silently praying they were safe.

            “Nope,” she replied sadly, “I looked all over too. I can’t find them.”

            “We’re doomed, especially if one brat can’t do anything,” Weevil wailed.

            “You shut it bug-eyes!” spat the girl, “I’m one of Noir’s gang too!” She turned to leave.

            “Rebecca!” Malik called, but the girl ignored him and started running off.

            “You guys wait there! I’ll look for a way out!”

            “Don’t be stupid girl!” Malik yelled back. “Just hide until Noir comes back! Rebecca!” But it was too late the girl was already long gone.

            “Yeah right,” muttered Weevil, “Like he’s really gonna come back for us.”

            Malik whirled around and grabbed onto the mint haired boy’s jacket, making him choke. “Just what did you mean by that Underwood?!” he hissed dangerously.

            “I-I was j-just saying that if Boss was okay… we… we wouldn’t be here. I-It’s been forever since they shoved us in here,” stammered Weevil.

            There was a resounding smack as Malik’s fist struck the boy’s face. “You are not to say such terrible things!” he said, throwing him to the ground in disgust.  _‘I can’t take this waiting,’_  he thought, starting to pace back and forth.  _‘It’s torture! Where are you Noir?! Were on Earth did you go?!’_

 

*************************************************

 

            “Afendi,” called a beady eyed man approaching a young spiky haired man as he stepped from the train, “For a small fee, I’ll take you to where you wish to go in my cart.”

            The foreigner looked at the man briefly then smiled warmly. “Thank you,” he said, handing the man his bag. “So where is your cart?” he asked after seeing the only visible cart leaving the train station. Turning around he saw the man running in the opposite direction. “Hey you! Stop thief!” he yelled, dashing after him.

            Several minutes later, Atem dusted himself off, the would be thief lying unconscious in the road. “Geez, can’t let your guard down for an instant,” he muttered to himself, picking up his bag.  _‘Now, if that intel was right, Mai Valentino ran to here after a friend broke her out of the _ _Paris_ _jail.’_ The private detective sighed.  _‘It’ll probably end up being yet another dead end… though something feels different this time. I’ve got a hunch that this is where it all started..’_

            The sounds of a couple of children happily running down the streets caught the man’s attention and he stopped to watch them, a sad and wistful smile coming onto his face.  _‘How long has it been since you died, Miho? It doesn’t matter though, soon… yes very soon I’ll get those bastards who killed you. Your oniisan will get your revenge, little sister.’ _ Shaking off the terrible memories, Atem once again started off through the maze like streets in search of a place to stay and set up base.  _‘White skinned women attract a lot of attention down here, so if she’s here, then it’ll be pretty easy to track her down.’_

**************************************

 

            After securing lodgings, Atem started his investigation on Mai. He had spent over an hour wandering the maze that was Fez, the spiky haired P.I. paused to rest. Looking around, he noticed that he was standing in front of a huge mansion right out of Burton’s Arabian Nights. He let out a sharp whistle of awe at the sight. “Wow, it’s just like the Arabian Nights!” Suddenly he got an odd feeling as he continued to admire the mansion.  _‘This place...’_

            “Monsieur Detective?!” called a child’s voice, “Is that you Monsieur Detective?!”

            Looking down slightly, he saw a little blonde girl in a sailor outfit running over to him. His eyes widened in surprise, recognizing her. “Rebecca?! What on earth are you doing here?!” He then let out a gasp then a low growl, arriving at the most logical conclusion. “That corrupt loan shark sold you didn’t he?! That bastard!”

            Rebecca shook her blonde head emphatically. “You’re wrong!” she said, starting to tug on the man’s arm.

            After explaining things, Rebecca clung to the spiky haired man as they snuck around Ezhdar’s mansion.

            “So you’re saying that Bakura and Yugi have gone missing from this house, and that Malik and everyone else are locked up in room underground? I understand, Rebecca, but where does this Ezhdarguy fit in all this?”  _‘And why does Mai’s trail stop here? It makes no sense.’_

            “I d-don’t know,” the girl said, trembling at the man’s name. There was something scary about him. “Bakura said he was his best friend.”

            “His best friend huh?” Atem frowned, the uneasy feeling from earlier returning, this time stronger.  _‘Something’s not right here.’_

            “Malik’s down here,” Rebecca said, pointing to a set of stairs leading to what looked like an underground cellar. Nodding, the detective cautiously went down the stairs and began to work at the lock. After a few moments, the door squeaked noisily on its hinges, causing Malik and the others to gasp as it opened.

            “One of a detective’s secret tools,” Atem said, rather pleased with himself, “a piece of wire,” he continued, holding up a small piece of wire.

            “I thought that was a burglar’s,” Rebecca muttered under her breath.

            “Atem Khemet?!” Malik spat in a combination of shock and disgust upon seeing their savior. “Just what in the nine hells are you doing here?!”      

            “No time to explain,” he said yanking the Egyptian from the storeroom, “Just be grateful I ran into the kid here.”

            After several minutes of nerve wracking skulking around the mansion, they finally made it safely to the main entrance to the estate. Atem glanced around a few times then let out a breath of relief. “Good, no guards. Everyone, we’ll leave one at a time. If we go all at once, it’ll attract too much attention.” They nodded and followed the detectives instructions until only he, Rebecca, and Malik remained. “Okay, it’s you and Rebecca next. Go on kiddo,” he said to the girl a few seconds after the last of the men left. The girl looked at Malik, unsure but nodded at the Egyptian’s smile and dashed from the mansion.

            Atem turned to the blond to tell him it was his turn to leave when said Egyptian dug his heels into the ground. “I’m not leaving!” he said defiantly. “Not without Bakura. I know he’s got to be in there somewhere. I’m not going to run off! I’m one of his followers!”

            “Malik!” Atem scolded, pulling on the blond.

            Seeing that her Malik-nii-chan wasn’t following, Rebecca had run back to the mansion just in time to hear Malik’s refusal. “Um…” she began quietly, “I think I know where he might be.” Both of them looked at her. “There’s a big forest in there with lots of trees. I was playing in there and I saw this really old house there. I couldn’t find the way in because there were too many trees there.”

            “Rebecca,” Malik said kneeling down to look at the girl in the eyes, “Do you think you can remember the way? I think we should check there.”

            “I… I think so,” she said, not liking the prospect of having to go back into that evil man’s place. Smiling gratefully, Malik then took the girl’s hand and the two started back deeper into the estate.

            “H-Hey! Just wait a damned minute!” Atem protested, but soon gave up once they had almost vanished from view. “Young people these days,” he muttered, then dashed after them. “I’m not about to let some other guy get his paws on my dear little black cat.”  _‘Note to self, make sure you look into this Ezhdar guy while you’re here.’_

 

***************************************************

           

            The white haired thief sat slumped against the dungeon wall, too tired to stand up. Ezhdar had finally gotten tired of whipping him, and left the cell leaving the wounded man to ponder his current situation.

            “I’ll have to say, I prefer to be the one doing it not taking it,” he said to no one in particular. He let out a cry of pain as he shifted in an attempt to get more comfortable. “I could really use a cigar right now. No huh? Didn’t think so.” After a few more moments of abject silence, Noir started talking again, anything to take his mind off the pain of his healing body. “You’d really sell your soul wouldn’t you Noir?” He let out a mirthless laugh. “Couldn’t be helped I guess.”  _‘I’d do anything to keep those lovely amethysts safe.’_  He let out another caustic chuckle at that thought.  _‘Some protector I turned out to be. I can’t even keep myself safe.’_

            The thief’s head jerked up at the sound of the door creaking open. “Hey Ezhdar,” he called, “You win.”  _‘Boy my pride really did run out on me,’_  he mused bitterly. “I’m yours, just don’t you lay a finger on them!”

            There was the sound of rushing footsteps and he suddenly found himself with a lapful of tanned skin and blond hair. “Hey! Watch it! I’m still hurting here!”

            “Noir! Thank the gods I found you!” cried the bundle in his lap.

            “Ma… Malik?!”

            The Egyptian quickly swiped a hand over his eyes, desperately trying to hide the tears. “Thank goodness you’re alright! I knew you were the best boss ever! The only one I’d risk everything for.”

            “As glad as I am to see you right now,” Noir said wincing at the blond’s fierce hugging. “But I’m not exactly in the best shape here.”

            “As moving as that was,” said a spiky haired man from the doorway, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. “But we really should get a move on, don’t you think?”

            Squinting due to the sudden change in illumination, it took several moments for Noir to recognize this newcomer. “Atem!” he groaned, annoyed at being caught in a situation like this by that man. “Let me guess, you chased me all the way to Morocco because you missed my charming wit.”

            Chuckling, the P.I. started working at the thief’s chains. “As much as I’d like you to think that, I’m afraid it’s just a coincidence running into you here.” He let out a low whistle at the various bruises and welts all over the thief’s body. “Whoever did this, really did a number on you. Think you can walk?” he asked once the last chain had been unlocked.

            “Yeah… I’ll manage.”

            Nodding, the slightly shorter man helped Noir to stand. “So where’s Yugi? I was dead certain he’d be with you.”

            The white haired man said nothing, just let Malik and the detective lead him out of the dungeon and dilapidated house. Seeing that this wasn’t the time for pressing further, Atem just let it slide.

            “And where could you all be going at this time of night?” a tall brunet said coming from the trees, brandishing a gun at them.

            “Ezhdar!” spat Noir.

             _‘That’s Ezhdar?!’_ Atem said, getting an eerie feeling from that single blue eye of his.           

            “Since you hate me so much, my friend,” the brunet sneered, “I’ll send you to meet your precious jewel.”

             _‘Icy blue eyes… chestnut brown hair…That guy’s!’_ Atem thought, finally recognizing the man before them. However, there was no time to confirm his suspicion for there was a loud popping noise and Noir staggered backward, clutching his shoulder.

            “Noooo!!!!” screamed Malik.

            “Stay away Malik!” commanded Noir. “Hold him back! Ezhdar’s only aiming at me!”

            “I won’t miss next time,” said villain said, cocking the gun again, “It’ll be your head this time. Goodbye Bakura.”

            The explosion they heard was not the gun striking its intended target. The weapon had indeed fired but, at the last possible moment, a spiky haired blur had knocked Ezhdar’s aim off course and the bullet had struck a keg of gunpowder that had been stored away in the house.

            “What the?!” the brunet said, confused as to just what had happened, not realizing that Atem had attacked from his blind side.

            “Now!” shouted the detective, grabbing hold of Malik, “Let’s get out of here!”

            The blond grabbed onto Noir and they all ran for their lives as the fire from the gunpowder leapt from tree to tree and all throughout the vast mansion.

            Meanwhile out on the street, the fire and previous explosion had caused quite the crowd to gather at the front gate.

            “What’s going on?” asked one person. “What was that explosion?”

            “Ezhdar’s mansion is burning!” exclaimed another, “It’s horrible! Like a great sea of flames!”

            “Got what he deserved then,” a third spat, with a dark chuckle, “That’s what you get for dealing with shady business.”

            Several of the people began to chant, “Burn! Burn! Burn!”

            Grateful for the mob, Atem, Malik, and Noir were able to use it as a distraction and escape the raging inferno. Suddenly, the white haired thief collapsed once they had cleared the rioting locals.

            “Noir!” cried Malik as he ran to his master and felt for a pulse. “He’s got a fever!” he said worriedly.

            “Malik, Rebecca,” he said noticing that the blonde girl had managed to find and remain at the meeting place he’d told her to go to after locating the abandoned house. “Help get him on my back.” Nodding, the Egyptian quickly obeyed and with little difficulty managed to drape the unconscious thief on the spiky haired man’s back.

            “There won’t be another ship for a while,” the detective said as they started heading for his hotel. “And I’m sure this isn’t the end of that Ezhdar guy.”

 

****************************************************

 

            Meanwhile, said brunet was running through his rapidly falling mansion, trying to locate Noir and a way out. “Lord Ezhdar!” called one of his more loyal thugs. Realizing where he was, the brunet ignored the man and dashed into his study just in time to see the scroll he’d shown to Noir only days earlier burn to ash. “Lord Ezhdar!” the man called again, “We must escape! Please hurry!”

            Just then a man leapt out of the shadows, a scimitar raised above his head, ready to strike the brunet. “DEATH TO ALL WHO’D VIOLATE THE TREASURE!!!” he screamed in a heavy French accent.

            “You’re the one who put the gunpowder there!” the brunet said, leaping out of harm’s way only to be knocked off his feet by a falling beam.

            “It is forbidden for anyone other than our kinsmen to touch that scroll,” the attacker spat, “Those who covet the treasure commit a great sin against God. It is His will that it should burn along with a sinner like you.”

            “You’re one of the Knights Templar,” Ezhdar said, unable to move due to the approaching flames.

            “That is correct. It is our most sacred duty that we make sure none lay hands on God’s treasure. Especially scum like you.”

            There was a popping sound and the man fell backwards, dead. Ezhdar rose, smirking, the still smoking gun at his side. “Amen,” he spat derisively. “Thanks to your people, it made it even more important that I get a hold of Bakura.”

 

****************************************************

 

Elsewhere in Fez...

            “Didn’t your parents tell you it’s impolite to peep into people’s homes?!” an old man scolded the children staring into his window. “Kids these days,” he muttered.

            “Crazy old coot,” spat one of the boys before running off.

            “You did it now, Old Soguroku’s mad now!” said another, following his friend.

            “Now, do you see what I meant,” Soguroku said wearily as he sat down at the low table. “Now we’ve got to deal with every nosy neighbor because of this.”

            The strawberry blonde girl ignored him, used to his complaining and went over to the boy lying on her bed. “It’s because he’s so pretty,” she said as she replaced the washcloth on his forehead. “It’s like he stepped right out of a European painting. You know, like the ones of angels.”

            “Hmph,” scoffed, “You and your fancies, Shizuka. He’s just like any other foreigner. Annoying white ants.”

            “Grandpa!” the girl protested, “Oh! He’s waking up!”

            The boy blinked his eyes and let out a pained groan when he struggled to sit up.

            “Easy, boy,” the old man said coming over, “That knife cut isn’t too deep, but there are plenty of bruises all over.” The spiky haired boy looked at them as if they had suddenly both grown three extra heads. “Just how did a foreigner like you end up so beat up anyway?”

            “Why? What?” the boy asked again, still confused. “Who… I… don’t remember… a thing,” he said, glancing about frantically for something, anything that would spark a memory.

 

~TBC~


	13. Chapter 13: The Dragon of Maghreb Part 6

_‘There’s nothing…’_  the spiky haired boy thought as he sat up on the cot like bed,  _‘Not a thing I can remember. Who am I?! Who…’_

“Grandpa,” the strawberry blonde said, at the old man’s disapproving look.

            “Nothing good comes from messing with these foreigners. I knew I should have left him there for his own kind to find.”

            “But!” she protested, “You just can’t kick him out! He could die out there! Can’t he stay just until he’s all healed? Please?” she begged, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

            Her ‘grandfather’ sighed. “We’ve already brought him here, I guess it just can’t be helped,” he said, giving in and going to check on the cooking.

            “Sugoroku-jiisan!” cried one of the neighbors bursting in, “It’s terrible! Ezhdar's mansion is burning!”

            “What?!” he asked in shock. “Well I guess that’s divine punishment for you. We Moroccans have had our land trampled over by foreigners. That Ezhdar was part of it. It’s a shame really, he was such a good, helpful kid. It was that damned America that changed him. If only he hadn’t gone to America.”

            “Grandpa! Grandpa!” shouted the girl, running in.

            “What’s wrong?” he asked.

            She had an arm around the boy who was now desperately struggling against her hold. “He just…” The boy let out a pained moan that tore at her heart.

            “Shizuka get away!”  he said, recognizing the withdrawal symptoms, “I hate to ask,” he said, turning to his friend, “but could you subdue him?”

            “Sure!” he said grabbing hold of the boy’s arms.

            “D-Don’t!” the boy yelled, frightened out of his mind, “Let. Go. Of me!”

            “Easy, son,” the man said, holding him firmly, yet gently, “Don’t move.”

            “DON’T TOUCH ME!!” he screamed, finally breaking free.

            “Damn it!” the neighbor grumbled, “I can’t keep a hold on him. Miss Shizuka, do you have something we can tie him with?”

            “Um…” she said, nervously, not wanting to hurt the poor boy.

            “Ow! Damn!” the man cried when the boy sank his teeth into his hand. “You little bastard!” He shook his hand before slamming into him and knocking him down onto the floor. He lay on top of him, pinning him as best as he could for he started struggling even more desperately than before. “Just what is with this kid?” he asked as his ‘captive’ started shaking terribly and moaning.

            “He’s just some spoiled rich kid,” grumbled Sugoroku, “but it looks like he got himself hooked on opium or something. It’s pretty obvious he’s going through withdrawal. Serves him right though, you reap what you sow.”

            “Oh!” Shizuka said with pity. 

            The old man turned to her and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. “No to worry though, it looks like he hasn’t been hooked for long so he should get off of the stuff soon.”

            “Grandpa,” she said.

            “Not to worry miss,” the neighbor said, taking the rope she had fetched and tying the boy’s arms so he wouldn’t hurt himself. “In spite of what he says, there are good people. Especially Sugoroku-jiisan. You may not know this, but a while back he used to take care of the kids who had no homes around here. He may be tough, but he’s just a big softy underneath.” Shizuka looked at him in surprise, having never been told of the old man’s past, “That Ezhdar, the guy with that big mansion… used to be one of those kids. I can’t believe this is how he repays him,” he said, looking around at the Spartan home. He couldn’t believe that not once did Ezhdar do anything to improve the old man’s financial state, forcing him to live practically in squalor.

            Meanwhile, the boy had been listening with very little interest, but at the mention of the name ‘Ezhdar’ his eyes widened in fear.  _‘Ezh.. dar?’_ he pondered. Where had he heard that name?  _Ezh…dar…’_ he mused again then began to shake from terror as a flash of chestnut brown hair and a single ice blue eye appeared in his mind,  _‘W-What was that?! N…o!! I’m scared! The blue… blue eye… tearing me apart. P..please some..one… he..lp…’_

            As soon as those thoughts flew through his shattered mind, another image appeared, it was blurry, but he could make out spiky long white hair and harsh dark chocolate eyes. A voice rang sharply, “What are you doing?!” it reprimanded. He didn’t know who that voice belonged to, but he was sure it belonged to the one with white hair and chocolate eyes. “You’re always such a stupid ass.” The voice was silent for a few more moments before speaking again in a somewhat more kind tone, “You’re my amethyst so get over here you idiot.”

             _‘I remember…’_  the poor boy said to himself,  _‘There was a guy who always talked like that. I think he was younger than me. He was such a jerk. But… who **are**  you?! You’re so… so far away. I can’t reach you…the way I am now.’_

The boy drifted into unconsciousness, lulled to sleep by the chanting of people at the mosque as the sound drifted through the open windows.

 

 

            “Oi, Atem,” the white haired man asked, as he lay on the hotel bed, several bandages wrapped around his still healing body. “Why don’t you go home? You stick out like a sore thumb.”

            “I’m not some statue for you to gawk at. Shoo!” the spiky haired detective grumbled as the chambermaids in the other room couldn’t help staring at the foreigner. The maids ‘eeped’ then dashed from the room, leaving their work for another time. “I thought I’d be tracked right away so I picked this hotel since it’s for us foreigners. But it looks like it’s having the opposite effect.”

            “It’d happen no matter where you’d stay,” the thief retorted, “You don’t exactly look like a local, you know.” He reached over to a thin box lying on one of the bedside tables. “Finally! Cigars.”

            “That’s bad!” Atem scolded, taking it from his ‘patient’ “For your wounds I mean. Yeesh! You’re such a heavy smoker!”

            “Looks like I’m stuck with you,” groused Noir, “Can’t be helped though since we had everything at Ezhdar’s. I’ll pay you back when we get to France.”

            “My!” the detective cried in mock surprise, “Such a sudden change of heart. You shouldn’t worry about it. Just pay me back for the cost of taking care of you.”

            “Oh I will!” spat the white haired man, “There’s  _no_  way I’m gonna be in debt to  _you_!”

            Atem then pounced on the man, pinning him to the mattress, their faces scant inches apart. “Let me see the  _real_  you and I’ll call it even.”

            “What the hell are you talking about?!” he spat, pushing the man away. “Don’t think you can cling all over me because I owe you!”     

            “Must you be so cruel?” he asked in mock hurt.

            “Bastard,” Noir muttered under his breath.

            “By the way, where are Malik and Rebecca?” he asked, looking around for the two blondes. “I haven’t seen them lately.”

            “They probably went to meet with the rest of my men by now. They did mention wanting to leave earlier.”

            “That’s going to be a problem isn’t it? You’ve no money now and there’s so many of you.” The thief said nothing, instead he had an unreadable expression as he held up one hand. “Your ring?” the detective asked, noticing that the expressive looking ring he usually wore was no longer anywhere on his hand.

            “No, my fingernail,” Noir spat, “Of course my ring you idiot! I’d didn’t want to, but I had to do it. That ring had the Courland family crest on it. I have a cousin in the shipping business and it looks like one of his ships is in Tangiers currently. I sent him a message asking for him to let us hitch a ride. That ring could have easily paid for  **three**  round trips for all of us.”

             _‘I forgot he claims to be from a noble family,’_  the detective berated himself. “That must have really hurt,” he said with a bit of sympathy, “You’ve just gotten through a lot.”

            The thief was silent for several moments. “Ezhdar’s pretty stubborn,” he said breaking the awkward silence, “No doubt he’ll follow me and he has a lot of power. I’ve got to make sure I’m prepared. There’s no way I’m letting any of my men get involved any longer.”

            “Just what happened?” Atem asked worriedly, “I heard rumors that he was your best friend once.”  

            “I had forgotten about that long ago,” the thief said quietly.

            “Yugi’s involved in all this isn’t he? Is that why he’s disappeared? You know, you’re not fooling anyone, Bakura. I can see you’re falling apart. You’ve forgotten I’ve been watching you for a long time. Call it a sleuth’s hunch. You’re thinking that it’d be better if you both die, aren’t you.”

            “That’s probably the first thing you ever got right,” he said grimly.

            “Wait a minute here!” cried Atem rushing to the thief’s side, pushing him back onto the bed when he tried to get off. “Don’t move so fast, your wounds’ll open!” Noir ignored the man and shoved him away. He shot up, only to stumble and grunt in pain. “Didn’t I just tell you?!” shouted the detective as he noticed a bit of red seeping onto the pristine white cloth. I swear it’s like you put yourself through one of your showy torture sessions! Go back to bed, it’s pretty obvious you can’t stand.”

            “He’s… gone,” the thief said miserably as he let himself be put back to bed.

            “What? I didn’t catch that.”

            “Yugi… he’s gone,” he said brokenheartedly. He knew once Ezhdar decided to get rid of something, he really got rid of it. “It’s… my fault.”

            Atem’s eyes widened in shock and rage. “That had better be a lie,” he said harshly, “Bakura! Tell me!”

            The thief jerked his head away, unable to look him in the eye. “Serves you right,” he muttered to himself.  _‘Why?! Why did this have to happen?!’_ he asked,  _‘Why can’t I shake this feeling. I spoiled him! That’s why he’s dead! I… I killed him!’_

            They looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps.

            “Ma…lik?” Noir asked at the visibly shaken blond. “What are you doing here? I thought you said you were going with the guys.”

            “I snuck back here,” he said fighting back the tears and failing miserably, “I just couldn’t leave you behind. I… just now, what you said about Yugi…” he couldn’t bring himself to ask the dreaded question.

            The white haired man turned his head away, unable to look his most loyal servant in the eye, the guilt was really eating at him now. He couldn’t bear to see those lavender eyes look at him in anger and hate should he tell him. “Noir! Don’t do this to yourself! I won’t let you suffer all by yourself! I thought you and I were friends! No matter what, I’m  **never**  going to leave you! I’m not gonna run away anymore! I don’t even care if I end up dead like Yugi!”

            Noir whirled to face him, his eyes flashing dangerously, an unreadable expression on his face.  _‘Eep! He’s gonna hit me!’_  ran through the blond’s head. However, no hit ever came, instead the thief had placed his hand on the boy’s cheek in an almost loving caress.

            “I don’t want any of you to get killed,” he said solemnly. Malik stood stock still, too stunned to even breathe, a faint blush tinting his bronze skin.

            It was several moments later when he heard Noir’s voice from the doorway, “I thought you wanted to help,” he teased. He was leaning against the frame, still weak from Ezhdar’s treatment, but there was no way in hell he was going to let that keep him down for long. “Come on.”

            Malik blinked, then quickly rushed to follow his master.

 

 

            Later, Atem was wandering the streets of Fez, trying to dig up more info on Ezhdar.  _‘I could have sworn I’ve seen that face somewhere,’_  he said, trying to remember where he’d seen the blue eyed man before.  _‘It’s strange, you wouldn’t believe I’d forget such a distinctive face light that before.’_

            “Ezhdar?” a merchant asked, after the detective inquired about him. “You must mean that one eyed man! I don’t know him that well myself, but he’s a pretty shady guy. They say that he’s in the international trade business or something. But I’ve heard it’s not true. The stuff he trades is really cheap over here, but anywhere else, gets sold for way more. And if someone complains, he sneaks around to make sure they aren’t in the biz for long. I’ve even heard that he’s even had people killed, that he’s got this big organization or something backing him up – that they’d do  _anything_  to get things done.”

             _‘A big organization?’_  Atem mused, “I don’t suppose you can be a bit less vague,” he asked, slipping him some more money. The merchant eyed the money greedily, but reluctantly shoved it away.

            “I’m not stupid, my friend. If I say things like that, I’ll end up dead. I truly am sorry, afendi.”

            The detective nodded in understanding, then thanked the man for what he was able to provide him.  _‘I knew it!’_ he crowed,  _‘The ‘Black Hand’ **is**  wrapped up in this! By as to why…it’s just still too hazy.’_

            He was so far in thought, that he didn’t pay attention where he had been going. He started when he crashed into something and a high pitched voice cried out in shock. Looking around he saw that he had practically run over a young girl with strawberry blonde hair and that she was now scrambling to scoop up the glass marbles she’d spilled during her fall.

            “I’m sorry, miss,” he said, helping her. Catching sight of one amethyst colored marble that had gotten away, he quickly grabbed it then handing it back to her. “I believe this is yours,” he said, smiling warmly at the shy girl.

            “Th-Thank you,” she mumbled meekly before running off into the streets.

            “I didn’t mean to scare her,” he said, his ego hurting. Sighing he watched her as she began looking around frantically and calling,

            “Amethyst! Amethyst!”

             _‘What an odd name?’_  he thought,  _‘Is she looking for her pet?’_  He stopped suddenly when he saw that she had run over to a boy with red, gold, and black spiky hair.

            “There you are!” she said, relieved, “Let’s go back ok? I wanted to show you my treasure,” she said with a shy giggle.

             _‘It can’t be!’_  Atem said, with utter shock,  _‘I’ve got to be suffering from sunstroke. Noir…he said Yugi… died. But is it really possible for there to be **two**  people who look like me?!’_

He ran up to them, calling, “Hey!” Both the girl and boy gasped at the sudden shout, the boy shaking terribly and trying his best to hide behind her. “Yugi? It is you! Thank the lord you’re alive! Everyone’s been so worried!”

            The boy shook uncontrollably, visibly frightened out of his mind at the stranger’s outburst.

            “What’s wrong? Are you ok, Yu…” The boy dashed off into the city streets when he had attempted to reach out to him. “Wait!” the man called after him, “What happened to you?!”

            The girl ran in front of him, when she saw that he had meant to go after him. A few feet away, the boy had stopped and turned to look worriedly at the girl who now had her arms outstretched. “Don’t!” she pleaded, “Please don’t chase him! Amethyst doesn’t want to go with you!”

             _‘Y-Yugi...’_  he thought, worriedly,  _‘He… doesn’t remember me?!’_

            “Wait Amethyst!” the girl cried, dashing after him when she saw him running off again.

             _‘It’s either that… or that wasn’t Yugi.’_

 

           

            He ran. He didn’t know why that man looked like him or why he even scared him so. He seemed like a nice man, but somewhere deep down, he remembered someone telling him to never talk to strangers – that if anyone he didn’t know try to get him to go with them he was to run, run as fast as he can and get help. So that’s what he did. When he felt that he had gotten far enough away and saw that he had lost him, he stopped to catch his breath. 

            Behind him, a man with chestnut brown hair and a single ice blue eye stood smiling a smile that would have the devil himself running for dear life.

 

~TBC~


	14. Chapter 14: The Dragon of Maghreb Part 7

 

            He ran. He didn’t know why that man looked like him or why he even scared him so. He seemed like a nice man, but somewhere deep down, he remembered someone telling him to never talk to strangers – that if anyone he didn’t know try to get him to go with them he was to run, run as fast as he can and get help. So that’s what he did. When he felt that he had gotten far enough away and saw that he had lost him, he stopped to catch his breath. 

            Behind him, a man with chestnut brown hair and a single ice blue eye stood smiling a smile that would have the devil himself running for dear life.

            “Amazing,” the tall man said, eyeing the boy, “You still live.” The boy shook in fear, looking around desperately for an escape. The man turned to one of his men, giving him an accusatory glare.

            “I-I was s-sure I… that is…” he stammered.

            “You didn’t give him a wound fatal enough,” his master said icily. He then whipped out a pistol and shot the bumbling assassin, killing him instantly. The boy cried out at the noise, but still stood there, unable to run due to the withdrawal symptoms still running through his opium deprived body. “Incompetent fools can die,” he said putting the gun away, ignoring the corpse. Ezhdar grabbed the boy harshly. “Come along, Yugi,” he said, starting to pull him along.

            “N-No!” the boy cried, “No…”  _‘I don’t like you! You’re… you’re scary!’_

            “That’s enough Ezhdar!” a short old man with grey spiky hair called running up to them. “That boy is my guest! I will not tolerate such violence! Leave at once!”

            The brunet sneered. “It’s been a while hasn’t it, Sugoroku-jiisan,” he said with mock politeness, “You’re as ornery as ever I see.” He made to grab Yugi again, but the old man now stood in between them. “ _Don’t_  get in my way old man,” he warned, his one visible eye narrowing in annoyance.

            “Those look like serious wounds,” he said, noticing the bandages covering various parts of the brunet’s body. “But if I do get in your way, what then? Are you going to kill me, boy? Are you going to kill the man who raised you as his own son?!” Ezhdar said nothing, just continued to glare at him. “Why?” Sugoroku asked sadly, “Why did you turn out like this? Ever since you came back from America, you’ve been a completely different person! Where is the lad I once though of as my son?!”

            Ezhdar pulled out his pistol and aimed it at his foster father. “Move or die old man,” he said, an unreadable expression on his face.

            “You little brat!” Sugoroku spat defiantly.

            “Last warning,” he said, cocking the gun.

            The old man refused to budge, he didn’t know what the brunet had wanted with the boy, but there was no way he’d let him get his hands on him, especially after all those rumors he’d heard regarding his former foster son.

            “So be it,” Ezhdar said calmly. There was a loud crack as the gun went off.

 

 

Meanwhile, elsewhere…

            “Say that again, Atem!” the white haired man shouted.

            “I only saw him for a second so I’m not that sure but…” the shorter man replied.

            The thief grabbed onto the chair’s arm to steady himself. “Yugi’s… alive?” he said, not daring to hope that was true.

            “So what do we do now?” Malik asked, “Aaah!!” he cried when he noticed his master stumbling as he shot straight up from the chair. “You’re not supposed to move around like that!” he chided, helping the thief to steady himself.

            “I’m not going to stay here and do nothing!” he retorted, “I’ve got to –“

            “Not so fast,” Atem said stepping into his way. “We don’t even know for sure it’s Yugi. The kid I saw acted like he didn’t know me.”

            “He’s right for once,” agreed the blond Egyptian, “Why not let me go check it out ok? Besides, you  **still**  need rest!”

            Noir yanked his arm away from Atem’s grasp. “Let me go, Khemet! I have to see with my own eyes that it was him! Where is he?! Tell me!”

            “Fine,” groused the detective, “It’s obvious you’re not going to listen to anything I have to say anyway.”

 

 

            About twenty minutes later, Atem was leading the white haired thief and blond along the streets to where he had last seen the boy.

            “You ok?” he asked turning to Noir, concerned at the heavy panting he was doing, “You’re really sweating there; I think we’d better head back. It’s too…”

            His taller companion gave out a short barking laugh. “This is nothing,” he bragged, though he wasn’t really feeling that great. And the desert heat wasn’t helping much either. “It’s like my garden out here!”

            A man with bronze skin and platinum blond hair like Malik’s came passing by. He glanced at the white haired man briefly as he went by, but quickly did a double take. “Bakura?!” he called, “It’s you isn’t it?!” Upon further inspection, he saw it was indeed his old friend from before. “I knew it was you!” he cried, pulling the thief into a bear hug, “It’s me! Marik!”

            Noir flinched slightly for the man’s arms had brushed against one of the still healing wounds. “That little shrimp?! No way!” he said, seeing that his old friend had indeed grown up, and pretty fast at that.

            “Ah, this brings back memories,” the taller blond said smiling warmly, “Last I heard some rich guy came and took you to France. If I remember right, he had this really snooty servant with him too.” Bakura was about to ask about Yugi when the man’s lilac eyes widened then narrowed as he remembered why he was out on the street to begin with. “Oh yeah!” he said, “Old Sugoroku was shot!”

            “Sugoroku-jiisan?!” Noir said in shock. That man had been like a father to him during his childhood in Morocco.

            “Yeah,” the blond said grimly, “What’s even worse is that they’re saying it was Ezhdar that did it!”

            The thief grabbed onto the man’s shirt, “What did you just say?! Why would he…”

            “I don’t know,” Marik groaned, “Just saying what I heard, something about trouble with a foreigner at the old man’s place.”

            Atem and Malik stared at the man.  _‘Yugi…’_ ran through both their minds at the same time. Neither of them had the chance to inquire further for Noir had dashed off light a bat out of hell and made a beeline for the old man’s home. Marik stood perplexed as he watched the foreigner and his look alike run after his old friend.

            “What the heck was that about?!” he wondered before shaking his head and went back to his original business.

 

 

            “Who’s there?!” the strawberry blonde asked, grasping a pan in one hand and holding it in front of her defensively. She gasped when a white haired man appeared in the now open doorway.

            “It’s alright, miss,” he said, “I’m one of your grandpa’s kids that he used to look after.”

            “Oi!” called a boy about eleven, “Lookit!” he said to his friend pointing at the foreigner.

            “It’s Bakura!” the slightly older boy shouted in joy.

            “Bakura’s back!” cried another street urchin and soon there was a crowd of children outside old Sugoroku’s place.

            “Heh,” Noir said coming in, ignoring the fearful looks the girl was giving him, “I always though that stubborn old goat would go on living for hundreds of years. I can’t believe he’d meet such a lousy death.” He yelped in pain as he was suddenly hit upside the head.

            “Darned brat!” Sugoroku said, coming from the sleeping area, limping slightly. “Don’t bury me just yet! First Ezhdar does it now you. You’re all nothing but a bunch of worthless brats!”

            “Jiisan!” the thief cried in joy, “You’re alive! Thank goodness! You’ve no idea how worried I was!” He then scooped the shorter man into a fierce hug.

            “Don’t be so innocent with me, young man!” he spat indignantly.

            Noir released his ‘father’ and told him of why he had come, after letting the old man have a seat of course.

            “The foreigner I was looking after?” he asked, “You must mean Amethyst.”

            “Amethyst, huh?” the thief asked, getting an uneasy feeling. “So this amethyst…”

            The old man frowned, causing Noir’s uneasy feeling to increase. “He was taken. By Ezhdar. Poor boy looked pretty scared. It was obvious he didn’t want to go with him, so I tried to stop that ungrateful brat! I took him in, looked after him and this is how he repays, me?!” he said, scowling at the bandage where the gunshot wound was. “He left me a message for you,” he said, his violet eyes scowling at the thief, “He knew you’d come running here, ‘cause you’d hear rumors and pay attention to them. He told me that if you want that boy back, safe and unharmed, then to go to the ruins of his mansion – alone. If you don’t obey his demands, then, he won’t guarantee that poor boy’s safety.”

            Noir’s eyes flared in sheer anger and hate, frightening the girl who had been listening in. He then growled in frustration and shot up from his seat, causing the table to shake on its wobbly legs and the tea cups to rattle precariously.

            “Ahh!!” cried Malik, startled. The blond Egyptian immediately ran after his master, “Wait!” he called, grabbing onto the slightly taller man’s arm, “You’re not well enough! It’s dangerous for you to move around like that!”

            The thief whirled around, his eyes those of a cornered animal, ready to strike at the first thing that approached. The poor blond gave out a yelp as Noir jerked his arm away.

            “Let him do what he wants, Malik,” Atem said sighing, “He’s too far gone to listen to anyone right now. Bakura,” he called. The thief stopped in mid run and turned to the detective, daring him silently to stop him from fetching his precious amethyst. “Here,” the spiky haired man said throwing him his pistol. “It’s not the best, but then again I only use it for self-defense.”

            The thief caught it. He looked at it briefly before pocketing the weapon. “Merci,” he said, nodding in thanks, grateful for the other man’s understanding.

            Malik stared after his master, unable to move until the taller man was out of sight.

            “You needn’t worry so much Malik,” Atem said, placing a sympathetic hand on the blond’s shoulder. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. That little black cat’s got the devil’s own luck.

            “So it’s come to this has it?” the old man said, forlornly, “Those two were so close, now Ezhdar has gone and made an enemy of Bakura.”

            “Say, jii-san,” Malik said, trying his best to hide the tears and sniffles, “You know No… Bakura pretty well don’t you?”

            “I’ve known that boy since he was very small. He lived not to far from here with that sickly French mother of his. I heard that he was born in another part of the Arab world and that something happened with the father. They had to leave the country and eventually wound up in Fez. That’s when he met Ezhdar.” Sugoroku sighed as images of a white haired child running with a smiling older brunet boy with piercing blue eyes ran through his mind, “Ezhdar was such a sweet kid, all his friends loved him. In spite of his odd looks, Ezhdar was able to draw people to him and earn their respect, especially Bakura. He was persecuted you see, for being half French. Bakura took to that boy immediately. You see, they were both seen as foreign for their looks. It wasn’t long before they became extremely close.” The old man paused, sighing sadly, “I just can’t believe it would end up like this. Time is just too cruel sometimes.”

 

 

            At Ezhdar’s still burning mansion, Noir ran through the burnt out shell of the building, looking for his stolen jewel. “Ezhdar you bastard!” he shouted, “Here I am! Show yourself!!! EZHDAR!!! GET OUT HERE!!!!!!!”

            “No need to be so hot-blooded,” the brunet said getting up from his bed, chuckling lowly, “as amusing as that is.”

            “You. Are. A. Bastard,” the thief spat venomously as he watched the taller man pull on a robe. On the other side of the bed sat his precious Yugi, half clothed and glassy-eyed. The boy was curled up on himself, shaking terribly.

            “You always were so much fun to tease,” the brunet said, chuckling. He motioned to the boy for him to come and the petite boy whimpered as he weakly rose to his feet and stumbled over to them. He then knelt beside the much taller man. Ezhdar smirked smugly as he ruffled the boy’s hair.

            “I’LL KILL YOU!!!!!” screamed Noir, pulling out Atem’s pistol.

            “You’ve gotten sloppy,” tsked the brunet pulling out his own gun, “I would have used that thing already. Now put that gun down,” he commanded, pointing the gun at the boy.

            Noir growled, but hastily obeyed. He meant what he had said back at the hotel. There was  **no** way he was going to let anyone he cared for get killed because of him. Ezhdar grinned triumphantly and lowered the gun, but did not put it away. He strode over to the fireplace where a roaring fire had been blazing.

            “I’m sure you know what this is,” he said, reaching into the flames and pulling out an iron poker. The thief’s eyes widened in fear and shock. “So you do know. It’s just as what it looks like, a brand.” Noir’s eyes narrowed dangerously, never leaving the disgusting red hot metal. “Hmm…” the brunet mused going over to the still kneeling Yugi, “Should I mark him as mine? Leave an indelible, ugly scar on this creamy white skin?” he then ran the muzzle of the pistol along one of the boy’s cheek in a mock caress, making the boy whimper and tremble. “Maybe I’ll put the mark on both his arms. Or perhaps the chest. No. I think the face will do, that way there’d be no mistake as to who his owner is.”

            “W-Why do this?!” Noir asked brokenly, then he suddenly felt something deep inside snap. That boy was  ** _his_**  property! it said. “He’s MINE Ezhdar!!” he growled furiously, “How dare you try doing stuff without  ** _my_**  permission!”

            “You always did value beauty,” the brunet said coolly, “It’s in your nature after all. You never did like seeing something pretty get destroyed. Now, now, don’t make such a face, you wouldn’t want this lovely one to get a heart attack do you? All I want for him is…” He then put the brand back in the fire as to make sure it didn’t cool down just yet. He next strode back over the thief until their faces were a mere scant inches away. “You, Bakura,” he purred, “If you come peacefully, I’ll let Yugi go.” Noir’s heart was racing a mile a minute. “It is your all fault,” he said, “You broke your promise so I’m afraid I had to be a bit rough.”

            “I never forgot that promise Ezhdar,” the thief said defeatedly, hanging his head, “Do what you want,” he whispered.

            The taller brunet smirked evilly, silently gloating now that he had won, “See that wasn’t so hard. I knew you could be reasonable.”

             _‘Yugi… I’m sorry… so sorry...’_  he said going over to the boy, giving him one last hug. “See you around, runt,” he said ruffling the boy’s hair lovingly. “You’ll send him back to Malik?” he asked as Ezhdar eyed him suspiciously, the pistol aimed at his head, “Promise me you will.”

            The brunet said nothing instead went back to the fire. “Bakura, come here,” he ordered.

            “I’m not a dog, don’t go calling me like one,” the thief grumbled, but obeyed. The brunet let out a wry chuckle. “What do you want now?”

            Ezhdar grinned maliciously, obviously enjoying himself. “I rather liked that idea,” he said, picking the brand back up, “That had to be one of my best. Yes, I believe I’ll leave my mark, oh but it won’t be on your dear Yugi. No. Instead, it’ll be you who bears my mark of ownership. Just like the Egyptians of ancient times used to.”

            “W-W-WHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTT?!” Noir stammered in complete fear and shock at the glowing red of the evil thing being brandished before him.

 

 

~TBC~


	15. Chapter 15: The Dragon of Maghreb Part 8

            “I knew it!” cried the platinum blond as he paced anxiously through the tiny sitting room of the old man’s house. “Noir’s never this late!! Something must have happened!”

            “Calm down, son,” Sugoroku said with a combination of pity and annoyance, “You’re making us all nervous with you pacing like that.”

            “Easy old man,” Atem interjected, guiding him to a nearby chair. “You still haven’t recovered from that bullet in your arm.”

            The old man scoffed indignantly, “I’m not that old, you whippersnapper! My arm’s just fine!”

            “I can’t take this anymore! I’m going to see what’s taking him so long!” With that Malik stormed to the door.

            “I’ll come too,” the detective said, just as worried for Yugi as the Egyptian was for the white haired thief.

            “No way!” he protested, shoving the shorter man to the side, “Look,” he said in a much calmer voice in apology, “Someone’s gotta stay in case I wind up missing him on the way.”

            “Malik…” he attempted.

            “Go home kids,” interrupted Sugoroku, “There isn’t much you can do. Besides it’s up to the gods. Bakura’s strong, I’m sure he’ll be alright.”

            “Old man…” Atem started, but nodded upon seeing the look on the man’s face. He had to have faith in the thief.

 

Meanwhile at Ezhdar's…

            The white haired man hung loosely from the ceiling, his chest bare. The taller brunet smirked evilly as he brought the red hot brand close to the pale skin before him. Noir’s eyes flashed dangerously and he jerked back moments before the metal could burn him. He kicked at the man’s hand, missing it by inches, making his foot strike his forearm instead. Ezhdar dropped the brand and it hit the tiled floor with a loud clang that resounded throughout the remains of the mansion.

            “Now look at what you made me do, Bakura,” the brunet scolded in a sickeningly sweet voice, “You made me drop the brand.”

            “Only because you moved so fast,” quipped the thief. “Anyway, who says you have my permission to mark me?”

            Ezhdar smirked. “Oh, but I thought you agreed to be mine,” he purred, “You don’t have any say in this, Bakura. Not anymore.” He then picked up the still smoldering brand.

            “You’re worse than an animal trainer,” Noir spat, trembling.

            “Am I now?” The taller man continued to smirk, clearly amused at the thief’s feeble attempts at stalling. “You know, I could use opium to make you my obedient doll. Just like I did…” he paused, letting the sudden silence eat at the captured man, “with Yugi.”

            Noir’s eyes went wide in shock. “You did what… to Yugi?!”

            Ezhdar made a tsking sound. “Don’t tell me you didn’t realize.”

            “Ezhdar… you sick bastard!”

            The brunet’s blue eye narrowed in anger, turning it into a chip of blue ice. “Don’t make me break you, Bakura,” he hissed after delivering a punch to the man’s gut and causing him to attempt curling up.

            He brought the brand close to the thief’s chest again. Noir couldn’t stop the trembling as he felt the metal’s heat baking his skin and turning it to a bright pink. He continued to squirm as Ezhdar continued to hold the brand scant inches away from the flawless chest. “It’s time you realized your own helplessness, Bakura!” the brunet yelled, preparing to shove the red hot brand as deep into the flesh as he could.

            “E-Ezh…dar…” Noir pleaded one last time. He gripped the chains binding him tightly enough for them to bite into his palms. Droplets of red to run down his uncomfortably stretched arms.

 

****************************************************************

 

            The blond Egyptian jumped at the loud explosion as he raced desperately through Ezhdar’s mansion. “W-What was that?!” he queried, fearing for the worst. “Noir! Yugi!” he called, ignoring the racing of his heartbeat.

             _’Gods, please let them be alive!’ he begged, ‘Please!’_

 

**************************************************************

           

            Behind the two men stood a trembling, crazy eyed boy with spiky multicolored hair; a smoking gun clasped loosely in his petite hand.

            “You little… $^*^!!” Ezhdar snarled, doubling over in pain and dropping the brand yet again.

            The boy fired again, missing his target and causing the bullet to ricochet off the wall behind the brunet.

            “Yugi!” shouted the white haired thief, “It’s alright now! You’ve got him!”

            Yugi slumped to the floor, shaking from terror as well as the withdrawal symptoms. The gun clattered against the tile as it slid from the boy’s hand.

            “Shh… it’s okay now,” Noir said, wishing he was able to gather the poor boy into his arms at that moment. He silently cursed Ezhdar for chaining him up. “It’s over Yugi… you saved us, I’m… proud of you.” Yugi grabbed his knees and began rocking back and forth, his mind too shocked to deal with anything right now.

            “Noir!” Malik cried as he burst into the room, “Thank the gods you’re alive!” The frantic blond glomped the dangling thief, refusing to loosen the vise like grip he now had on him.

            “Heh, you think they’d get rid of me that easily,” crowed Noir. “You’re just in time, Malik. How about getting me down from here?”

            Malik laughed sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. “Sorry, Noir!” He then immediately began working at the chains. “So um… is Yugi ok?”

            The white haired man glanced over his shoulder and saw the boy was now lying flat on his back, obviously having passed out from the stress. “He’ll be alright,” he said nonchalantly, though inside he was deeply worried for the petit boy. Who knew how long he’d been under the influence of Ezhdar’s opium? “He just fainted.”

            Malik looked at the boy in concern as Noir rolled his shoulders and rubbed his wrists. His lilac eyes drifted to the gun that lay scant feet from the prone boy. “So that’s what I heard just now. Those were gunshots. The poor kid.”

            Noir frowned as he grabbed his jacket and began pulling it on. “No matter how hard I tried,” he spat bitterly, “I just couldn’t escape my past. It was Yugi who finally set me free of those chains. Now  **I** owe  **him**  a debt.”

            “Noir…” Malik whispered, touched by what had happened. He’d never expect the boy to actually save anyone, especially since he constantly voiced his hate of his master.

            “Oi Malik!” Noir ordered as he slung one of Yugi’s arms over his shoulder. “Don’t just stand there like an idiot, help me with him!”

            “Oh… right!” The blond then slung the boy’s other arm over his own shoulder and the two of them began to half carry, half drag Yugi from the mansion; both careful not to go anywhere near the brunet’s unconscious form.

             _‘The past is dead to me now,’_  the thief thought to himself,  _‘I can’t go back there anymore.’_

 

**********************************************************

 

            A few moments later, Ezhdar groaned as he struggled to rise. His single visible eye burned furiously in the firelight upon seeing that his ‘pets’ had flown the coop. Letting out a snarl, he picked up the gun that had been carelessly discarded.

            “Hmph!” he spat, looking at the offending weapon, “No wonder I still live. A .38 caliber couldn’t break a bone. Who knew the brat would be such a poor shot.” He ignored the pain from the still bleeding shots he’d received earlier and began to laugh maniacally. “You’ve gotten soft, Bakura!” he said laughing still, “You forgot to check to see if I was really dead this time. I’m going to make sure you’re going to regret falling for that little whore of yours! By the time I’m through with you, you’ll be begging for death!”

            The man’s laughs continued to reverberate throughout the ruined building all through the night. Many passersby quickly hurried past the mansion fearing that the devil himself had come for them.

 

~TBC~

 

 


	16. Chapter 16: The Dragon of Maghreb Part 9

            “Just what the bloody hell happened to him!” shouted the white haired man as he stared at the boy slumped against the wall, his amethyst eyes staring blankly at nothing.

            “Noir!” chastised Malik as he attempted to apply ointment on the singed flesh of Noir’s chest. “Sit still or I won’t treat you!”

            “So what?! Will you look at him!”

            Sugoroku looked at the petit boy pityingly, having become used to his sullen demeanor. “Poor lad. He’s been like that since we’ve found him. He can’t remember a thing, not even his name.”

            “$^*^!!” the thief swore more from anger than the chill of the salve, clenching his fist. “I just can’t believe this! What’s going on here?! He saved me back there and now…”

            “Hmm…” the old man mused, placing a hand on his chin, “It looks like the shock of having actually shot someone may have caused him retreat deeper into his mind.”

            “Bakura!” Malik protested as the man shot from his seat and stomped over to the catatonic boy.

            He slapped then shook Yugi in a desperate attempt to snap him out of it. “Look at me, damn it!!” he demanded, “What is wrong with you?! Say something damn it! Yugi!”

            “Stop it!” ordered Atem, grabbing the thief’s arm as he made to strike the boy again.

            “Get your paws off me!” snarled Noir, “I’m going to make that brat snap out of it.”

            “That’s enough, Bakura,” the detective warned, grabbing the man’s other arm and pinning them to his sides. Noir continued to thrash about, desperate to get to Yugi.

            “Hey!” yelled Malik, “Just what are you doing?! That’s an injured man!”

            “Sorry Malik,” Atem apologized loosening the hold slightly.

            “Noir… you ok?” Malik asked, reaching out to the slightly taller man.

            “Don’t touch me!” snarled the thief, staggering as he rose. “$^*^!!!” he cursed as his other injuries threatened to reopen themselves. “Damn it all!” he spat, forced to slump against the wall and sit against it.

             _‘Noir...’_  the blond said silently, hating how helpless he felt.

            “Have patience boy,” Sugoroku said pityingly, “Being impatient just makes you worry too much. I’m sure the boy will come back once he’s sorted things out for himself. After all you used to be like that weren’t you?”

            Malik’s lilac eyes dimmed in sadness. He remembered the few times when the white haired thief had mumbled in his sleep, revealing things he’d wished he never had heard. One of them being that he had once been an addict himself.

            “Just have faith lad,” Sugoroku said, patting Noir’s shoulder.

 

********************************************************************

 

            “Ah!” Malik cried in surprise when the white haired man jerked awake. The Egyptian had been reapplying the ointment to Noir’s singed flesh, all the while concern written all over his bronzed face at the thief’s silence.

            “Malik?” he asked, blinking. When had he drifted off?!

            “Oh thank the gods!” the blond cried, letting out a sigh of relief. “I… I thought you’ve wound up like…Yugi. Do me a favor; DON’T ever stare off like that again! I can’t stand all this pain by myself!”

            “Ow!” Noir shouted as he suddenly found himself in a bronze and gold vise. “For crying out loud, Malik, quit being such a baby! I’m not gonna disappear on you,” he said, cupping the blond’s cheek. “Now let me talk to grandpa, ok?”

            The blond nodded his head, sniffling as he released his master and helped him up.

            “You’re going to Tunisia?!” Sugoroku queried after listening to his former charge’s plans. “Why?”

            “I don’t want to cause you anymore trouble,” Noir replied solemnly, “The longer we’re here, the longer you’ll be at risk. We may have gotten rid of Ezhdar, but it isn’t over. And besides, I’d like to see for myself what caused all this mess – the secret treasure of the Knights Templar!”

            “Well, don’t expect me to foot the bill,” groused Atem, “I don’t exactly have that much cash on me.”

            “Oh don’t worry,” sniped the taller man, “I’m not gonna ask a broke gumshoe like you anyway.”

            “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.”

            “Thanks for all you’ve done, grandpa,” Noir said holding out a hand to the old man.

            “You want money?!” the old man grumbled.

            “It’s a handshake old man,” the thief replied, chuckling, “Just a handshake.”

            Taken aback by the gesture, Sugoroku stood silent for several moments before accepting the proffered appendage and shaking it warmly. “May you have a long life, my boy – not that you need me to say it. You’re as tough as a cockroach.” The last part was muttered under the old man’s breath as they started gathering their things and leaving with the still catatonic Yugi. The spiky haired detective, however, chose to remain for a bit.

            “Either I’m getting old or that brat’s really grown,” he said more to himself than anyone else.

            “I bet he was a real terror, ne?” Atem inquired, chuckling before taking a sip of his almost forgotten tea.

            “You’ve  **no**  idea,” replied the old man, smiling at the memories, “I thought you’d be leaving with them.”

            “I was only here by chance,” he replied taking another sip, “I think I’ll go chasing after Ezhdar for a bit longer.”

            “But isn’t he dead?”

            “I heard a rumor that he was part of a much bigger organization. I need to find out the truth.”

            “And if you do, what good will it do you? He’s dead.”

            The spiky haired man’s eyes narrowed in anger, hate, and regret as he remembered his reason for becoming a private detective. “I have…  **had** …a sister, Miho. She and my best friend were murdered by those bastards! I need to find out why they did it. I still believe that Ezhdar was part of all this somehow.”

            “The ‘Black Hand’,” the old man said as he went to pour his guest more ‘Moroccan Whiskey.’ (1) Atem’s eyes bulged out of their sockets. “I’m sure that’s what they call themselves.”

 

*************************************************************

 

Tangiers…

            “Master Ryou,” the maid said, approaching the white haired boy, “There’s a telegraph for you.”

            “Oh? From who?” the boy asked, looking away from the Matisse painting he’d been admiring.

            “Um… well… that is… it’s from Count Bakura Balzac de Courland,” she stammered, knowing full well about the cousins’ strained relationship.

             _‘Bakura,’_  he said silently, none too happy about hearing from his less than reputable relative.

            “He says he’ll be in Tangiers today, that he wants to be picked up at the train station. Um… shall we ignore him sir?”

            “No, he’ll just annoy me further if I do. Have someone pick him up,” he replied, grimacing slightly. The maid nodded and went to relay her master’s orders. He called after her as she was about to disappear, causing her to pause mid step. “Why don’t we pick him up in my new Rolls?” he said with a mischievous smirk, “Let’s remind him how generous I can be.” The maid nodded again and left to obey.

 

**************************************************************************

 

Later that day…

            “Ah there you are Noir!” Malik called as he ran up to the white haired man. “There’re so many people here! I thought I lost you back there. Anyway, let’s get out of here, ne?”

            Just as they made it to the train station’s exit, a  **very**  flashy Rolls Royce pulled up in front of them. The Egyptian stared in awe at the obviously expensive automobile.

            “Ah, you must be Count Bakura Balzac du Courland,” the driver said after getting out and opening the door for them. “Master Ryou sent me to pick you up.”

            “Thank you,” the thief said curtly before adding under his breath, “Damned brat, he  **had**  to send the gold one did he?”

            “Psst, Noir,” Malik asked eyeing the car disdainfully, “What’s with the kitchy car?”

            “Just shut up and get in,” he ordered shoving the blond in.

            “This  _thing_  belongs to your cousin?!” Malik asked as they drove away from the train station. “The one that’s got that shipping business and took the guys back to Paris?!”

            “Unfortunately, yes,” Noir replied frowning at the gold covered plush seats.

            The two remained silent during the remainder of the trip to Tangiers’ docks. Malik stared pleasantly surprised when they stopped at a tastefully looking ship. Glancing at his master, he could see that the man was equally relieved at the less than flashy boat.

            “Bakura, so good to see you!” called a slightly shorter looking version of the thief as they were ushered onto the ship. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Noir didn’t miss the veiled annoyance his cousin had hidden in his tone.

             _‘Oh my!’_  Malik mused staring at the two pale haired men.  _‘They could be twins!’_

            “I’m happy to see you too, Ryou,” Bakura replied, barely managing to hide his disdain at the younger one’s fashion sense. The man was dressed in the latest Parisian fashion, a style which the thief found to be much too flashy for his much more refined tastes. It unnerved him to no end to see his look-a-like cousin dressed in such flashy clothes and Ryou knew it – which is why he did it, just to get his goat.

            “You don’t seem happy,” quipped Ryou, “You’ve yet to look me in the eye. You’re being rude! And just look at you! What’s with the shabby attire? But then, what should I expect since you sent your ring to use as collateral for a ride. Just what have you been up to?!”

            “Nothing you need to know, kid,” the thief said in a tone that left no room for objection.

            “Of course I need to know!” snapped the younger of the two albinos, “Whatever it is you’re doing, it’s dirtying our family name! Isn’t usury enough?! You may have graduated at the top of the University, but must you insist on acting like a common ruffian?” Noir turned to glare at his cousin, who just ignored it, having been used to the older man’s idle threats. “I tell you it’s just not fair!” Ryou went on, “I just can’t believe a usurer like you is of higher rank than me! It’s just too humiliating!”

            “Oh, is that so?” retorted Noir, “Then I guess it was some  **other**  cousin named Bakura who leant you money during the Great War(2).”

            Ryou stopped in mid rant, his mouth opening and closing like a fish’s. “That… I’ll pay you back! Someday…”

            The white haired thief smirked; glad to have hit a mark with his cousin. “You should know our family’s credo, cousin. ‘Once indebted to the noble Courland house, it won't be forgotten throughout your entire life.’ It seems you’ve been using that a lot, haven’t you?”

            “Y-You cad! Just what are you getting me into now?!”

            “Don’t get your knickers in a bunch, Ryou,” Noir replied grinning, “I just want you to take us to Tunisia. That’s it.”

            “I’ll not be part of any of crimes you’ve got going,” the younger albino said, eyeing the person wrapped in a dark cloak and huddling near his taller cousin.

            “It’s nothing like that Ryou!” the thief insisted, “I’m just calling in a favor.”

            “Hmph! As if,” snapped the shorter, “Either take that suspicious hood of or I’ll dump you lot into the Mediterranean!” He then shot forward and made to pull the figure’s hood down.

            “Hey!” shouted Malik, “Just what do you think you’re doing!” the blond snatched the smaller albino’s wrist only to have Ryou yank it away sharply.

            “Shut up you servant!” He forcefully pulled the cloth from the figure’s head and gasped, unable to tear himself from the dazed eyes of the spiky haired boy.  _‘S-Such deep, amethyst eyes!’_  he said, forcing himself to look away.

            “I can’t believe it!” the shorter cousin yelled, raising a hand to strike the thief. However, Noir deftly and quickly grabbed it in a vise like grip. “You’d sink so low as to sell people?! Y-You bloody bastard!”

            “Shut. Up. Ryou,” Noir commanded, his eyes narrowing into smoldering pools of dark chocolate. His cousin gulped, trembling at the man’s sudden and unusual anger. “You’re jumping to conclusions again. That,” he pointed to the spiky haired boy, “is the head of the Mutou family. You know as well as I do, that him and us are distant cousins, don’t you want to help out a relative that’s feeling ill?”

             _‘Is that boy really a Mutou?!’_  he pondered. “Are you telling me the truth, Bakura?” If he was, that would mean he’d get a major boost to his reputation as well as a possible boost to his already massive financial position – the Mutous were  **very**  influential after all.

            “Of course I am,” his cousin replied, “This is Yugi. Yugi du Mutou to be precise, and the last of the Mutou family, who has ties to the kings of France themselves I might add.”

            Malik shot his master a look that implied ‘is it safe to tell him all that?’

            Noir pulled the blond aside for a moment and whispered in his ear. “I had to, Malik. Otherwise Ryou’d  **never**  let us stay on his precious ship. You see, my oh-so-dear cousin is quite prejudiced. He’s the type to always judge a book by its cover or people by their rank in society.”         

            “That’s disgusting!” the Egyptian hissed in reply.

            “Oh I do apologize!” Ryou said latching onto the boy’s arm; it was obvious he was seeing franc signs. “Don’t you worry about a thing; I’ll make sure you get the best of everything. Anything for a lovely amethyst, right Bakura?”

            “They’re definitely related,” Malik whispered as he watched poor Yugi be ushered deeper into the bowels of the ship by the status obsessed albino.

            “Don’t. Ever. Say. That. Again,” Noir said icily. He always hated being compared to his look-a-like. “I’m  **nothing**  like him and you know it, Malik!”

 

******************************************************************

 

            “Now this is what I call a  **luxury**  cruise!” the blond said after letting out an appreciative whistle after admiring the rich décor of their cabins.

            Noir just ignored the excited Egyptian, preferring instead to cuddle the catatonic Yugi. There was a knock on the cabin’s door and Malik, since had nothing else to do, opened it. To their surprise several servants barged in carrying boxes. “Master Ryou wishes for you to wear these and to and to attend tonight’s gala,” one of the servants said, placing his package on the king sized, gold sheeted bed.

            “Tch, just like that brat,” Noir muttered as the servants left, “Won’t stand having his ‘guests’ looking shabby.”       

            The blond let out another whistle after having opened up one of the boxes. “These are the latest fashions from home! Just how rich is that guy?!” His lilac eyes bugged out at a particular piece of clothing in another box that must have been meant for him.

            Sighing, the thief began to undress the catatonic boy. Seeing that his master no longer had any time for him, Malik discretely snuck out and headed back to his own cabin, but not without giving the preoccupied albino a sad look.

            “Now for the other foot,” the thief said, gingerly guiding Yugi’s foot into the leg of the silk tuxedo trousers. “You’re a pain you know that? Malik?” Glancing around for the Egyptian, he saw that the rest of the stateroom was empty. “Guess I’ll have to do this without his help,” he muttered as he continued to dress Yugi in the expensive tux his oh-so-generous cousin had provided.

            Outside in the hall, Malik leant against the wall, feeling confused and rather lonely at the moment.  _‘Ever since Yugi’s been like this, Noir won’t leave his side,’_  he thought gloomily. “Even if he did want me around, it’d just be way too awkward for me anyway.”

            “Why haven’t you changed yet?” Ryou asked, coming from his own stateroom. Their host was now dressed in a powder blue and white tux that appeared to be a tad lash flashy as the other suit he’d worn earlier. “Didn’t my servants deliver something for you too?”

            “Monsieur Ryou?! I thought you weren’t coming,” Malik said genuinely surprised.

            “Yes, well,” the albino said blushing slightly, “Bakura isn’t the only one who’s worried about Monsieur Mutou. Besides, this just happens to be the perfect time for a vacation, n’est-ce-pas?”

            “If that’s why you’re here,” Malik said eyeing him warily, “Then you needn’t worry, Bakura’s more than capable of taking care of Yugi. There’s  **no** reason for you to stay behind.”

            “Hmph!” Ryou huffed indignantly, “I think you should go change now or you’ll be late for the party. Masters should  **not**  wait for their  **servants**.”

             _‘What a jerk!’_ the blond muttered to himself. “Well, there’s a slight problem with that,” Malik shot back, “The stuff you gave me is a bit way too feminine for me.”

            Ryou stared at him for a few seconds before what the blond had said finally clicked. “Y-You’re a guy?! Oh my! How foolish of me!”

             _‘Noir wasn’t kidding when he said this brat judges books by their covers.’_

            “Please allow me to apologize,” Ryou pleaded, “I shall lend you one of my finest suits. You and I appear to be the same size so, I’m sure it’d be the perfect fit for you.”

            “I’m fine the way I am,” protested Malik. He was rather found of his Arabian style clothing; he always thought it went well with his bronze skin. “Besides this is way more comfortable,” he said indicating his present outfit. With that, Malik went back to check on Noir.

            A short while later, Ryou’s soiree was just getting underway, the passengers were currently milling around the ballroom gossiping, catching up with old acquaintances, or strengthening their financial and political connections.

            “My!” cried one woman staring at the handsome white haired man leaning sulkily against one wall next to a spiky haired boy sitting quietly on velvet upholstered chair. “Is that THE Count Courland?!”

            Upon hearing her surprised shock, a man a few feet away turned and glared at the sulking albino. “What’s that corrupt loan shark doing here?” he whispered to his friend.

            “I heard he was half Arabian,” gossiped another woman to her companion.

            “I heard that was why his mother was disowned by the Courland family,” he whispered back in disdain.

            “Then how in Heaven’s name did he wind up with the title of Count?!” she hissed back.

             _‘I’ve got a bad feeling about this,’_  Malik said, glaring at the gossipers from the opposite side of the room; his eyes never leaving the two wall flowers on the other side.

            “Not having fun, Bakura?” Ryou sneered at his gloomy cousin.

            “You got what I wanted,” the thief snapped, “I showed up didn’t I? Yugi and I are going back to our rooms.”

            “I don’t mind,” the shorter albino quipped, “as long as you don’t forget where you really stand in our society. You worry too much anyway,  _cousin._  The way I see it the more slander about you, the easier it’d be for you to worm your way into society.”

            Noir glared at his cousin, but chose not to say anything further. He then placed a gentle hand on Yugi’s shoulder. “Sorry to have put you through this,” he said to the still catatonic boy, “Let’s head back.” When the boy made no response, the white haired man wrapped an arm around Yugi’s shoulders and started to help him to stand. The spiky haired boy teetered and began to fall onto the heavily polished wood floor.

            “Easy!” Malik cried, rushing over to help, “You still haven’t healed enough, Noir! Do you want those wounds to reopen?” Noir sighed, but allowed the blond to help him get Yugi into his arms.

            “This is the second time I’ve carried you like this,” the thief whispered in Yugi’s ear, “You sure are a handful for a spoiled brat.” He then proceeded to take his amethyst back to their room.

            “The nerve!” spat Ryou, his feathers ruffled. “I go through all that to throw a proper party for Monsieur Yugi and he acts so rudely.” Malik’s lilac eyes hardened into twin icebergs as he strode over to the albino. Scant seconds later, there was a resounding slap as the Egyptian’s hand made contact with pale skin.

            “Monsieur Ryou!!!” one of his many ‘admirers’ shouted in anger.

            “Seize that disgusting Arab barbarian!!!!” demanded another.

            The blond slapped away the many arms attempting to grab a hold of him and stomped over to their host who was still holding his rather sore cheek. “You know  ** _NOTHING_**  about Yugi!” he screamed in utter disgust. “You’re the one who’s been acting rude! You ought to think about why Bakura’s forsaking his pride like this and not saying a word against you!” Ryou could only stare at the irate blond; no one had ever spoken to him in such a way as that Egyptian had.  _‘I know you’ve been keeping it from me, but I can see you’re trying to atone for what happened to Yugi. That… and your past with Ezhdar,’_  he thought forlornly. “I don’t know much about this class rank crap, but what I do know is that you’re the  ** _WORST_**  human being I’ve ever known!”

Fearing he’d let his anger get the better of him, the blond then stomped off for Noir and Yugi’s cabin.

            “W-Wait!” Ryou called, but Malik was already halfway there by then.         

 

*****************************************************************

 

            A while later, Noir had decided a bit of fresh sea air would do them both some good. He wasn’t sure if his spiky haired companion had been aware of what was going on around him, but he was doubly sure that what they’d been forced to endure earlier was most definitely not the best thing for a couple recovering men; one of them practically being an invalid.

            “You tired?” he asked, stroking Yugi’s surprisingly soft hair, “I know you get seasick, but don’t worry. We’ll be on Tunisian land by the day after tomorrow. Did you know that Tunisia’s famous for the Maghreb’s(3) ancient Roman ruins all lined up everywhere facing the beautiful Mediterranean? You’ll like it, the chalk white walls and the brilliant blue of the sea give it all a serene feeling.”

            The thief’s eyes widened in joyous shock as one petit hand reached out for his. Smiling the white haired man, clasped it gently as they continued to gaze out at the nighttime sea.

 

************************************************************************

 

            “Who’s there?!” demanded Sugoroku upon hearing a noise coming from the entrance of his home.

            “Grandpa,” a tall, one eyed brunet said with mock sweetness, “Where is Bakura?”

 

~TBC~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) Moroccan Whiskey isn’t whiskey at all it’s a really sweet mint tea or so I’ve heard.  
> (2) World War I in case any of you are wondering.  
> (3) The Arabic name given to the area of northern Africa consisting of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia.


	17. Chapter 17: The Dragon of Maghreb Part 10

            The white haired thief sat poring over his notes. “M…CC…LXX… M stands for 1000, so this is definitely a date,” he said going over the Roman numerals.  _‘Ezhdar was connected to this too, this code.’_  “Well the date is obviously 1270. The holy king’s death… the holy king’s crusaders… that would put this around the eighth crusade.”  _‘Makes you wonder what these Knights Templar were hoarding. I did start this for my own reasons, but now…I have no interest in a pile of jewels.’_

            “Noir! Noir!” called Malik, banging on his cabin door.

            “Not so loud, Malik! What is it?”

            “It’s Yugi, he’s been acting weird even though the opium should have left his body by now.”

            “What?!”

            The taller man dashed from his cabin and ran down the hall to Yugi’s, skidding at the door. “Yugi!” he shouted, bursting in.

            Before them was a pitiful sight. The spiky haired boy sat huddled in a corner, his arms wrapped around his knees as he shook and trembled horribly. Yugi would every few moments let out a moan of pain.  _‘It feels like my head’s breaking in two. All this horror… blood…the blood is…splashing,’_  he thought, trapped in his own recurring nightmare.

            “Yugi, what’s wrong?” Noir asked, genuinely concerned and placing a gentle hand on the boy’s shoulder. The older of the two let out a scream of pure terror at the sudden touch. “Yugi!” Noir yelled, “It’s me, Noir! Don’t you recognize me?!” he said, shaking the boy as carefully as he could to get him to snap out of it.

            “D-Don’t touch me!” the boy screamed.

            “Yugi…”

            Malik put a hand on the thief’s arm, shaking his head. “Poor guy’s confused right now. It would be best if you back off.” Noir was about to protest, but just looking at the boy was enough to get him to listen to the blond’s advice. He took a few steps backward, giving the petite boy the space he needed.

            Yugi’s disconnected mind saw that as a chance to escape and the boy shot up and bolted for the cabin door. “Yugi wait!” Malik called, grabbing for the boy’s shirt only to miss it by mere inches. “Where are you…” The boy was already gone before he could finish that question.

             _‘I’ve got to get out of here!’_  the panic stricken boy told himself as he ran throughout the ship,  _‘But where am I? Whe…ere…’_  The sound of waves crashing against the ship’s hull caught the boy’s attention, making him realize he was now on the deck of a moving ship.

            “Oh my! Look over there!” a passenger said to her companion, spotting a figure climbing the railing. “Someone’s…” The other passenger let out a gasp as the figure started to lean over the top of the railing.

            Yugi didn’t care if anyone saw him. He  **needed**  to get off that ship! He had to get away! From what, he no longer knew. All he knew was this ever increasing need to escape, to find someone, but who? Deciding this was his only chance, he let go of the railing and let his body start its potentially deadly plunge to the water below.

            There was a sudden black and white blur and a cry of “YUGI!!!!” The spiky haired boy felt himself suddenly being yanked backwards and over the railing. “JUST WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!” bellowed the white haired thief, desperately trying to keep his grip on the boy who was now just as desperately trying to climb back onto the railing.

            “NO!!!” Yugi screamed back.

            “Stop fighting me, Yugi!” Noir pleaded, wincing at the powerful kick he just received. He continued to yank at the boy and landed in a heap on the deck several moments later, the smaller of the two still struggling against the thief’s hold. “Damn it Yugi! What is going on in that head of yours?!”

            The poor boy began to relax in the firm grip only to start to shake and shiver. “I’m… so very cold,” he whimpered.

            “Come on,” Noir said, forcing the boy to stand only to be forced himself to support the smaller one’s weight. Sighing in frustration, the thief scooped the boy up into his arms. “Let’s go back to your room. A bit of brandy should warm you up quick.”

             _‘I wonder if Noir realizes how sad his own eyes look right now. Damn! All I can ever do is standby and watch!’_  Malik thought bitterly, rushing back to his own cabin barely able to stifle his sobs.

            A few feet away from the previous scene, a slightly shorter version of the white haired thief stood with an unreadable expression on his face. Ryou didn’t know what to make of what had just occurred in front of him.

 

*****************************************************************

 

            Noir stared guiltily at the now peacefully sleeping boy. He never regretted anything more than he did now.  _‘I never should have brought him with me. I never should have exposed him to that bastard!’_

 

Flashback

            “Bakura look,” a boy with blue eyes and chestnut brown hair said as he sat beside a somewhat smaller white haired boy on a roof of an abandoned building. “That’s the old city over there,” he said pointing to the less than fashionable looking part of Fez, “and that’s where the French built their new city.” He was silent for a few more moments before speaking again, “If you have enough ‘power’ in the world, you can control everything,” he said again with an odd tone to his voice, his white haired companion said nothing, choosing to keep his own opinions to himself. Besides, he didn’t want to anger his ‘brother.’ “If we’re going to take back what’s rightfully ours, we have to think of what the other world powers think of Morocco. There’s a lot of stuff holding us back. We need to become a world power, so they can’t hold us back anymore. I don’t know how, but I’ve got an idea.”

            “An idea?” the smaller boy asked.

            “Yeah, as long as we’re together, we can do it. You and I Bakura.”

            “Ezhdar.”

            “You’re with me right?” the taller boy asked, snapping Bakura out of his own thoughts.

            “Of course!” he chirped, earning a smile from his ‘brother’.

End Flashback

 

            “It’s a real joke isn’t it,” the white haired thief asked bitterly as he popped open a bottle of wine and took a swig right from the bottle.  _‘You’re just a fragment now… a fragment of my lost heart…Ezhdar.’_

 

*************************************************************************

 

            “I’m so-sorry! I’m s-sorry!” the strawberry blonde girl hiccupped over and over again as she sat crying her eyes.

            “Shizuka?” a spiky haired man asked, entering the small house’s front room, “What’s the matter? Did some…”

            “M-Mr. Atem,” she began, quickly rubbing at her now puffy eyes.

            “Did something happen to your grandfather? Is that why…” The girl began sobbing uncontrollably again. Fearing the worst, the private detective rushed further into the house. Lying half in and half out the kitchen was the body of the old man who had so kindly taken in Yugi not so long ago. Atem’s crimson eyes bugged out and he started at the sudden low groan emanating from the old man. “Gah!” he shouted, “Don’t scare me like that. I’m glad you’re alive though.”

            “Not to sound rude here,” Sugoroku grumbled, “but would you mind getting off my foot.”

            Atem blushed sheepishly and quickly jumped back. “Here let me help you. Can you stand?” he said, guiding the older man to a chair. “Just what happened here, grandpa?”

            “Ezhdar,” the old man replied, wincing a bit, “He’s alive.”

            The detective gasped in shock. “But he…”

            “didn’t die,” Sugoroku finished. “He barged in here and demanded to know where Bakura was.”

            “Don’t tell me you…”

            Just then the girl’s sobbing increased in volume and intensity. It was several minutes later before either of them could hear let alone speak. “He… He didn’t!” Shizuka sniffled, “I-I had to! He was going to kill grandfather if he wouldn’t talk! He was strangling him!”

            Atem pulled the distraught girl into a hug and began to rub soothing circles on her back. A pang of nostalgia hit him as he remembered doing that many times for his now long gone younger sister. “It’s alright Shizuka,” he said reassuringly, “I understand. I think I would have done the same thing if I were you. You did nothing wrong.”

            “We have to warn Bakura!” the old man ordered, “I’m sure that devil’s planning on chasing Bakura all the way to Tunisia.”

            “By we you mean me right?” the spiky haired man queried, receiving a curt nod from the old man. “I’d love to help I really do, but I’m in the middle of a case here.”

            “Then why not go ask Ezhdar himself?” Sugoroku asked slyly, “He is connected to the ‘Black Hand’ after all is he not? I’ve heard rumors that he’s actually their leader.”

             _‘Ezhdar’s… the leader of the ‘Black Hand’?’_  the detective pondered in shock.

            “He was such a sweet boy,” Sugoroku said forlornly, remembering the kind and gentle boy he’d seen as a son, “But then those vile Americans came and everything changed.”

            “Americans?” Atem asked, his interest piqued.

            “Yes, a group of rich Americans came by here a few years ago. I don’t know what it was they told the boy, but I did catch a name. Kaiba.”

            “Kaiba?!” Atem parroted, finally recognizing the name he’d heard in connection with the blue eyed devil. “Are you sure you heard right?”

            “Grandfather’s memory is perfect,” Shizuka protested, finally having calmed down a bit. “He remembers everything that ever happens around here, even years later!”

             _‘If that really is true,’_  he mused,  _‘I’ve be cracking the case of a lifetime! If Ezhdar really is a Kaiba, then he’d be more than just the head of a criminal organization.’_   The spiky haired man sat in silence a few more minutes, going over the facts he’d learnt up to this point in his head.  _‘That’s why I had that weird feeling when I first met Ezhdar! I **did**  see him somewhere before! The head of the Kaiba financial group, the largest and richest in the world, had a young man with him when I was in _ _America_ _. That man was Gozaburo Kaiba’s son. Ezhdar looked a hell of a lot like that man!’_ He clenched his fist.  _‘Miho, Seth, I finally found the first clue to the truth of your ‘deaths’! I’m one step closer to avenging you!’_

************************************************************************

 

            Noir flopped back onto the bed, dropping the three quarters empty bottle, causing it to make a muffled thud on the carpet and roll underneath the bed. “I admired my mother ‘cause she was sho shmart,” the thief slurred, “She hated the borin’ life of a noble. Sho she up and left ‘n’ went ta Egypt. She fell for shome Arab prince ‘n’ got me.” He then gave off a bitter chuckle, “Shounds like a lie don’ it? Whelp itsh true! The resht of her folks threatened ta cut her off if she married the guy. But maman weren’t shcared at all. We was happy, fer a while. Was tha besht time of ma life. Then ma ol’ man had ta go ‘n’ die on us. Grandpa Omar had ta die too. Shtupid shuccession dishputesh! Then dey tried ta kill maman ‘n’ me, sho we ran. I knew even den, if ya hang onto ta power ‘n’ authority, you’ll only loshe dem shoona or later. All we had wash her ‘n’ me. We wound up in Fez, then maman got sick. She got weaker every day, it wash up ta me ta do shomething!”

 

Flashback

            A white haired boy ran through the city streets, ignoring the angry shouts of the man chasing him as he clutched the loaf of bread closely to his chest.

 

            A while later a greasy looking fat man came over to the young thief, holding up a coin. Bakura eyes the shiny piece of metal then nods, leading the man to a nearby alley where he proceeded to remove his shabby rags.

End Flashback

 

            “By da time I wash ten, there weren’t nothing I didn’t do ta shurvive,” Noir continued his sordid tale for the still sleeping Yugi, “I couldn’t have gone any lower. I met Eshdar then. He took me ta meet hish pals ‘n’ taught me how ta shteal properly. It wash da firsht time anyone wash nice ta me. Maman died afta dat ‘n’ I went ta live with Eshdar. Did ya know, we ushed ta shleep tagether like a buncha kittensh? I really felt like a piece o’ s^*^, but ol’ Eshdar said, ‘Whash ugly in da light, ish really pretty in da dark. Da dark ish our friend, it’sh what controlsh da world, not da light.’ Sho I shtarted callin’ mashelf ‘Noir’. He wash… the only one who… believed in ‘noir’.”

            The white haired thief swiped angrily at his eyes, angered and surprised at the tears falling from his chocolate orbs. He quickly stiffened when he felt a set of petit arms wrap around him. “Y-Yugi?” he stammered.

            “Maman used to hold me like this a lot,” the boy replied, tentatively rubbing the younger man’s back. “Then I’d stop feeling so sad for a while.”       

            “Y-You’re (hic) awake?!”

            “Where am I?” Yugi asked, blinking as he truly saw his surroundings for the first time.

            “D-Do ya know who I am?” the thief slurred, worried for the boy’s sanity. He forced the embarrassment at being caught drinking and crying aside, he’d deal with that when the time came. Yugi nodded. “H-How long?”

            “I kept dozing, but I think I just woke up for real now. So even you can cry.”

            Noir blushed redder than the wine he’d been binging on and quickly shoved the boy away, making him ‘eep’ then fall back onto the bed. “J-Just ferget what I shaid and did, ‘k? It wash da booshe talkin’.”

            “Don’t be an @$$, Bakura!” Yugi scolded, “Not now when I’ve got my head back on right!” The thief stared at him guiltily. “Noir…”

            “Y-Ya had me real worried,” he said, looking away from the boy, “I wash shure ya’d never come back.”

            “I did feel like just lying down and giving up,” Yugi said grimly, “But I just couldn’t, I didn’t want to.”  _‘Not for me,’_  he added silently.

            “Dash, real shmart,” the thief said curtly. “I’d hate ta have ya shkip out on me when ya shtill have that debt ya owe me. By the way, da interesht’sh gone way up, ya wanna shee?”

            “Y-You damned loan shark!” the spiky haired boy shouted indignantly, “I just don’t believe you!”  _‘But still, if it were for your sadness pouring into my closed off heart…’_

 

********************************************************************

 

            Meanwhile, a certain blond Egyptian was hanging around the sitting room of the thief’s suite. Well, actually, it was more like he was tidying up than hanging out. “Just how many books did he pack?!” Malik grumbled as he tried to straighten up a bit. “There’s nowhere to sit!”

            “Um, Malik?” Yugi asked, shyly entering the messy cabin, “Can I help?”

            “Yugi!” squealed the blond, promptly glomping him. “I’m so glad you’re getting better, but you still need to take it easy.

            “But it’s not right to make you do all the work,” the boy protested.

            “Nah, it’s ok, really. Besides, it gives me something to do. Anyway, where’s Noir?”

            “He uh, had to go clear his head.” Yugi blushed slightly, remembering what he had heard while in the company of the drunken thief, “He’s around somewhere. About this treasure of the Knights Templar…”

            “Yugi! Shh!” Malik chided, quickly clamping a hand to the boy’s mouth, “Not so loud!” he hissed, “If someone hears us, we’ll be in major trouble!”

            “Oops, sorry,” the boy said sheepishly, forgetting that they weren’t the only ones on the ship.

            “No biggie,” Malik said, patting his shoulder, “But it really is awesome isn’t it, being in the treasure hunting business. It’s a heck of a lot better than becoming merchants or something like everyone else. Noir’s always saying that prestige isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I did find what Ezhdar was really after though. He said something about a ‘symbol of power’, one like nothing else in this world, something to do with miracles. Though I don’t know what he was raving about.”

            Yugi had flinched at the mention of the blue eyed man, but calmed down quickly.  _‘Miracles huh? I sure can use a few myself,’_  he said silently.

 

**************************************************************

 

            “Now that was interesting,” Ryou muttered to himself as he left the general vicinity of his cousin’s cabin.  _‘So they’re treasure hunters. I knew my cousin was bad news, but to go after the treasure of the Knights Templar! I definitely have to get in on this some how!’_  The white haired boy then smiled mischievously, chuckling quietly to himself.

 

******************************************************************

 

            A couple hours later, Noir was back in his sitting room nursing a nasty hangover and going over his notes yet again.

            “Let’s see,” he whispered to no one in particular, “The holy king that died in 1270 was,” he counted silently on his fingers, “Louis IX. Those who served in the eighth crusade called him the ‘Holy King’. It was believed that he died of an illness in… Tunisia!” The white haired thief winced in pain at his shout. “Damned wine! Why did I have to binge drink now of all times? Well, at least I finally figured this thing out!” He quickly ran for the rapidly cooling pot of coffee safely perched on a buffet table on the other side of the sitting room.

 

~TBC~


	18. Chapter 18: The Dragon of Maghreb Part 11

            The white haired boy looked about Tunis with excitement. He was going to enjoy this little excursion, oh yes he was. “The Sahara’s to the south and the Mediterranean’s to the north and east,” he crowed happily, refusing to leave his cousin’s side. Their blond companion had been shooting him irritated looks since they’d disembarked which were ignored by the shorter albino. “So since ancient times, Tunis has been a trading port. Tunis may have been a protectorate of France, but it’s now the most developed city of all northern Africa.”

             _‘Like I care,’_  spat Malik inwardly,  _‘Why doesn’t this jerk leave already?!’_

            “And of course the Alaoui Museum is a must see, why it’s even been called Tunisia’s Louvre.” The boy continued to go on and on and on, driving the blond to near insanity as they made their way to their hotel.

            “Can’t you do something about…  **that**?!” the Egyptian hissed silently to Noir.

            Nodding in sympathy, the white haired thief tapped his cousin on the shoulder. “Thanks for taking us this far Ryou,” he said loathing having to be polite to the brat, “But we can make the rest on our own. Besides, I’m sure you have work to do as well.”

            “Oh not at all,” the boy sneered, “ _Besides_ , I believe I have some say in this since I am a collaborator to this little trip of yours. I’d like to see this treasure of the Knights Templar myself.”

            “Where’d you...” the thief began, utter shock and disbelief written all over his face. His cousin just grinned at him as if he were the cat who got the canary.

            “Hey, Monsieur le Viscount, look at that!” Malik shouted and pointing at a random place. Apparently the ruse worked for the shorter albino whirled his head around and began to search for whatever it was that had excited the blond.

            “Go quick!” Malik hissed to his master, “I’ll take care of the jerk.” Noir nodded and sped off. “It’s this way! Over here!” he said, turning back to Ryou and yanking him in the opposite direction.

            “Um… what is it Malik?” Ryou asked, seeing absolutely nothing that could possibly be even remotely exciting.

            “That camel’s taking a nap!” he cooed, “Isn’t it just precious?!”

            The slightly shorter boy sweatdropped as he inwardly fumed. “So what?” he groused. Turning to complain to his cousin, he saw that the taller man had obviously split long ago. “Bakura you coward!” he grumbled.

            Snickering behind his hand, the blond Egyptian pumped his fist and held up two fingers in a victory sign.

 

***********************************************************

           

            “Um, Noir, shouldn’t we go back for Malik?” Yugi asked, concerned for his friend as they made their way towards the outskirts of the city.

            “He’ll be fine,” the thief answered, sticking close to the smaller boy in case any unsavory types tried anything with him. “He knows where to meet us, Quart Hadasht, the queen’s new capital.” The boy looked at him confusedly. “Otherwise, Carthage,” he explained, earning an ‘oh’ from Yugi. “It’s pretty close from here, but these hills are a b*^#^.” The thief panted, wishing he’d been able to pack something a bit cooler, black fabric did tend to hoard heat.

            “Um… thanks,” Yugi said, blushing as Noir handed him the canteen. He took a sip then gave the water back. “I don’t feel that great myself.”

            “Don’t get any ideas,” the white haired man said, scooping the boy up. “I’m only doing this because you’re still recovering,” he added as he began to carry the boy up the steep slope. Yugi buried his face into the man’s chest in a desperate bid to hide the increasing blush on his face.

            A while later, the thief gently put the boy down on a large stone and panted as he quickly took a drink from the canteen. “This is… odd,” the boy said, taking in the surroundings. “This church looks pretty new.”

            Noir looked over to the large building a bit in the distance and nodded. “It’s the Church of St. Louis,” he explained. “It was just finally finished. It’s been said that when Louis the ninth died during the crusades, he was buried in this church.”

            “Louis the ninth?” Yugi repeated, “You mean the king who became a saint? He died here?”

            The thief nodded. “That manuscript of you-know-who’s said,” Noir made sure not to mention a certain name. The boy still had horrible nightmares no thanks to that bastard. “’The star of the Queen's new capital, while working on the site of the sanctuary, connecting with the deceased Holy King MCCLXX.’ I finally figured out what it meant by ‘the sanctuary’ – Tophet.”

            “The Tophet? What’s that?” Yugi queried.

            “It’s supposed to be the place where the two great gods of Carthage were worshipped. They would have rituals there where they threw babies into a fire.” The spiky haired boy gulped and shivered as chills ran down his spine. Noir couldn’t help give a tiny smirk. “If you follow the line that connects the Tophet and the church, you’d wind up right…” He walked around for a bit then stopping shortly, “about here.”

            “Damuous El-Karita?” Yugi asked reading an inscription on an abandoned sign post.

            “Quite a view, huh?” the thief asked, looking at the city on the other side of the hill, “That’s Carthage,” he said pointing the city. The boy stood in awe of the city sprawled on and around the vast lake. “There was an early Christian church here over a hundred years ago. It also used to be an ancient Carthaginian dwelling. It was lost until about forty years ago. Cardinal Lavigerie had order an archeological dig here and now it’s been found. His exact words were, ‘Find all of Carthage’s treasures and keep an eye on them,’ I think. It may have been for archeology’s sake or if I’m right…”

 

*************************************************************

           

            “Hmph!” the white haired boy spat irritably, “Because of you, we’ve lost Bakura completely. You sure are loyal.”

            “Well,” the Egyptian said giving a grin that would give the Cheshire Cat a run for his money, “He is my boss, so of course I am.”

            “Oh really? Just your boss, hmm?”

            Malik suddenly blushed profusely. “W-What are you thinking?! It’d be nothing but trouble if he thought of someone like me like  **that**!”

            “Oh, how come? You’re quite attractive.”

            The blond’s red face became even redder.  _‘I-Is he… is he hitting on me?!’_  “Are you stupid?!” he shouted, “We’re both men! Besides, I’m a foreigner and he’s a noble!”

            “So?” Ryou said brushing away a stray lock of blond hair. “Love doesn’t care if you’re a noble or a foreigner. If I think something’s beautiful, I call it beautiful, and you’re beautiful.”

            Malik looked like he was about to faint. No one had ever called him beautiful, not even his beloved Noir. He was torn between letting this boy seduce him and running all the way to Carthage – to Noir. He stood there, silent for the longest time as his lavender eyes darted frantically for a way out of this awkward situation.

            “Oh come now, don’t tell me you’re going to run from little me,” Ryou said, grabbing Malik’s wrist in a firm hold, but not enough to bruise.

            The blond’s head continued to spin, he definitely wasn’t used to flirting; he’d been too busy working as Noir’s partner to have any time for romance. “Um… I don’t think we should be so close,” he whispered, catching sight of something he didn’t like.

            “Don’t be that way Malik,” Ryou chided when the blond yanked his arm away. “Wait!”

            The Egyptian quickly ducked into an alley. “Hide you idiot!” he hissed, pulling the white haired boy into the alley.

            “Malik, just what are you…”

            “Shut it!” the blond growled lowly and clamping a bronzed hand on the shorter boy’s mouth.  _‘I-It can’t be!’_  he inwardly screamed in utter panic,  _‘Ezhdar’s here! He’s alive! I’ve gotta warn Noir!’_

            Sure enough, the tall brown haired, blue eyed devil was walking down the street they’d been in previously, followed by a bunch of his goons. “Seto Kaiba?!” Ryou whispered, recognizing the young businessman. “What on earth is here doing in a place like this?”

            “Seto… Kaiba?” Malik asked perplexedly. “What are you talking about? That guy’s a millionaire from Fez. He  **used**  to be a good friend of Bakura’s. We’ve gotta get to Carthage! Now!”

            “Calm down Malik!” Ryou hissed, not knowing why he had to be quiet, let alone hide from a fellow business associate. “I’ll get us the best seats on the very next train!”

             _‘Malik you idiot!’_  the blond screamed at himself,  _‘All that work, for **nothing**!’ _  He blanched as the white haired boy stepped from the alley. Seeing as he had no choice, the Egyptian followed, praying to every deity he knew that they wouldn’t be noticed.

            “Why hello there,” came the one voice Malik had been dreading. Apparently the gods were in rather foul moods today. “How unexpected to find you here,” the tall brunet said smirking evilly. He gestured to his henchmen and they quickly surrounded the two, several of them latching onto the two boys rather roughly.

            “W-What are you doing?!” shouted an indignant Ryou, “I demand to know the reason behind this uncivilized behavior, Mr. Kaiba!”

            “Whatever are you talking about?” Ezhdar drawled, amusement clearly sparkling in his one eye.

            “Don’t you dare play dumb with me!” spat the smallest of the males. You and I’ve been to the same clubs in America. I know you remember me, I’d certainly remember someone with features like yours.”

            The Mafioso continued to smirk as he drew his pistol and cocked it. “Why don’t we stop dancing around each other and get down to business. I want to know where Bakura is. Tell me now or would you rather see him broken into a thousand pieces, Monsieur le Viscount?”

_‘H-He is… he’s serious!’_  Ryou thought. “B-Bakura’s probably in Carthage,” the boy stammered, “That’s all I know, I swear! Now let him go!”

            “Uh, boss? What do we do wit’ ‘em?” a huge burly thug asked, still holding onto the furious and panic stricken blond.

            “They’re no longer any use to me,” his boss replied icily.

            “Hey! We did what you wanted!” protested Ryou, “You’ve got to let us go!”

“Oh do we kid?” said another of Ezhdar’s thugs, leering at him in a way that made the albino’s skin crawl.

            “Y-You  **IDIOT**!!!!!!!!!” bellowed Malik, desperately trying to kick at the white haired boy, “Why’d you tell them?! If you didn’t, we wouldn’t be goners!!!”

            “COWARDS!!!!” Ryou spat as yet another thug cocked his gun, silently regretting not getting any ‘fun’ with the two.

            Suddenly the thug fell flat on his face and the gun went flying and landed several feet away. The two boys stared in shock at the figure standing over him. “That wasn’t pretty nice of you  _Mr._  Ezhdar,” a spiky haired man said, brandishing his own gun.

            “Damn!” spat the taller brunet, recognizing the detective. He then made a mad dash into the city, his thugs standing there for a few seconds before running after their boss. “Not so fast!” shouted the spiky haired detective as he began pursuit.

             _‘$^*^!!’_  Atem cursed, returning a minute or two later,  _‘the bastard got away!’_

            “Not to sound ungrateful or anything, but what are you doing here, Mr. Detective?” Malik asked finally after recovering from the shock of being rescued.

            “Just who is he, Malik?” demanded Ryou, not one to be ignored.

            “That’s Bakura’s stalker,” deadpanned the Egyptian.

            “W-W-WHAT?!” sputtered Atem, blushing. “You’ve got the wrong idea! Besides it’s different this time.” Both boys looked at him, silently demanding him to explain. “I have business with that villain. It’s only a coincidence I’d run into you.”

            “Well, I guess that’ll have to do,” Malik said unhappily, “I think we’d better go together. I was getting kinda lonely with only Monsieur le Viscount here,” he added jerking his blond head toward the utterly confused albino.

            “M-Malik! I’m hurt!” Ryou pouted.

 

************************************************************************

 

            “It’s hard to believe this used to be an ancient church,” the spiky haired boy said, as they made there way through the ruins, “It’s a bit dreary isn’t it?”

            “That’s because they hadn’t gotten to excavate this area yet. Still, under all this is the dream of the ancient Phoenicians,” Noir countered.

            “Which is probably just as dreary,” the boy muttered under his breath.

            “Now we need to figure out what to do next.”

            “Hey Noir,” piped up Yugi, “this floor has all these pretty colors!”

            “That’s because it’s a mosaic,” the thief explained, smiling a bit at the boy’s childlike joy as he admired the ancient artwork. “You can a bunch of colored stones and cut them into tiny pieces then make a picture out of them. Most ruins like these have them.”

            “Doesn’t this one look weird though?” Yugi asked, staring intently at the mosaic, “These colors don’t look natural to me.”

            Noir blinked, then mentally kicked himself in the head.

            “Noir?”

            “You’re right,” the white haired man said coming over to inspect the colored stones, “This is… Yugi look out!”

            “Death to defilers of God!!!” screamed a man, waving an ancient looking sword.

            The spiky haired boy froze, unable to move due to man’s sudden appearance. There was a sharp whoosh followed by an even louder crack causing the man to cry out as he was just as suddenly sent flying back. A black and white blur streamed by the boy and the man found himself pinned under a none too happy phantom thief.

            “Care to tell us who you are and what you’re doing here?” hissed Noir.

            “We Knights Templar know you seek what is not to be yours,” the man spat, his wrinkled eyes narrowing and glaring hatefully at them, “You may have made it here, but you’ll never get your hands on the treasure! DIE HEATHEN!!!” he screamed, pushing and kicking the thief off of him. The old knight rolled with a practiced grace and grabbed his previously discarded weapon. He leapt up and made a beeline straight for the spiky haired boy, intent on ending his life.

            “Yugi!” Noir bellowed again and whipped at the knight again, catching his sword arm.

            “Damn it all!” spat the knight.

            The thief then swept at the man’s legs and knocked him to the ground, this time pinning him face down. “That’s my property you’re trying to kill,” he snarled, “I’d stop if I were you.”

            “You… demon!” came the venomous reply.

            “You ok, Yugi?” Noir asked after tying up the old man with a piece of rope he’d managed to bring with them.

“I’m alright. Since when did y-you… carry a gun?” the boy asked, catching sight of the shine of metal tucked into the thief’s jacket.

            The white haired man looked away from the boy guiltily and silently wishing it wasn’t necessary. He’d always been fine with just his favorite whip, but this whole affair with Ezhdar didn’t just put poor Yugi on edge.

            “S-Sorry,” the boy apologized, “It’s just that… I remembered something nasty.”  _‘In a forest of my memory, my hand jerks up from a gun…bright, red blood…’_

            “Dummy,” the taller thief said as he gently wiped at a stray tear that had escaped one amethyst jewel, “There’s no need for you to be all worked up. I don’t think I’ll even have to use it.”

            “Stop treating me like a kid!” Yugi protested under his breath, actually grateful for the thief’s kindness. “I’m older than you.”

            “Just be more careful, ok?” Yugi nodded. “’The star of the Queen’s new capital’,” he quoted, earning a questioning look from his smaller companion. “I never could figure that bit out until now. The design of that mosaic looks like it used to be a star if you’d look real close.”

            “Look old man,” growled Noir feeling the heat of the knight’s damning glares, “We’re not like those other guys after your precious treasure.”

            “Then tell me this, blasphemer, how did you know about this place?!” the knight demanded. “You must have deciphered that document that was stolen from our stronghold of Les Andelys!”

            “I may have looked at it once or twice,” Noir drawled, “but I most certainly did  **not**  steal it.”

            “I suppose you’ll say that you’re not a part of that vile mafia, the ‘Black Hand’,” the knight spat venomously, “Your fellow heathens broke into our sacred stronghold and took that from us!”

            “The ‘Black Hand’?!” parroted Noir.  _‘Then Ezhdar really is in the ‘Black Hand’! Is that why the knights are chasing after him?’_

            “That document and this land are meant to be seen only by those who have been chosen by god. Only those directly related to the ‘Lord God’ are allowed here!” spouted the old man.

            “’Lord God,’” Yugi puzzled quietly to himself, “Rex Deus?”

            “You! How is it  **you**  know that name?!” demanded the knight, glaring at the boy. “Only those of the Templars know those sacred words! Just who are you?!”

            “I-I…” stammered Yugi. “My great-grandfather told me. He told me that the Motou family was descended from Rex Deus, that ours is a noble Christian lineage. I really didn’t understand him at that time though.”

            “You can’t possibly be one of the Motous,” the knight said incredulously, “There is no way a heathen thief could be from that most noble family!”

            “Well it’s true he’s no longer a Motou,” smirked Noir, playfully draping an arm around the boy’s shoulders and making him blush and squirm. “but he was one of them at one time.”

            “I hate you,” Yugi hissed at the thief, loathing the reminder of the debt he owed him.

            “Release me at once!” demanded the knight. “It is obvious that I was mistaken,” he added contritely upon realizing his mistake, “Do forgive me, young sir. I am a descendant of a Templar Knight, one of several at that. Our blood lines come from those of Champagne, Anjou, Fountaine, and other noble French families.”

            “So you all have been protecting this place all these years?” Yugi queried in awe and getting a curt nod from the Templar Knight. “Since the Crusades?” Another nod.

            “Talk about loyalty,” quipped the thief. The knight glared at him, but Noir chose to ignore it. He still had the upper hand after all.

            “Our Holy King Louis the ninth fought for Jerusalem’s treasure around 1250. He later then organized the eighth Crusade as part of his plan to bring it to France,” the knight started, “But his majesty fell ill suddenly, his plan half finished, and went to meet the lord in Carthage.”

            “Hey Noir!” Yugi called after fiddling around with the mosaic, “It looks like this part of the floor slides open!”

            Noir beamed at the boy, earning a slight blush from him. “Good work. Hey old man, when you said Jerusalem’s treasure, you didn’t mean  **that**  legend did you?”

            “What legend?” Yugi asked as the thief began sliding the mosaic away.

            “After Jesus was crucified, the Romans went crazy and began killing people in Judea left and right. The huge treasures kept in Jerusalem were buried deep underground at the time. To be more precise, under the temple of Solomon. After Jesus’ death the Romans got rid of most of Jerusalem’s priests and began ransacking the temple, turning it into a big pile of rubble. Ever since then no one knows where the treasure of Jerusalem is.”

            The knight sighed and nodded in agreement. “When Holy King Louis died, our ancestors moved the treasure to this land. We swore to protect it until the day the true ‘Lord God’ came to us. We Knights Templar carry the blood of Jerusalem’s priests, the blood of noble King David himself.”

            “What the?!” sputtered the thief after having descended down the revealed stairs. “There’s nothing here!” he called back up, greatly annoyed.

            “Of course there isn’t,” smirked the knight, “Some of the younger generations of our order sinned and got greedy. They went here to grab the treasure for themselves only to find… nothing. So ever since then, we’ve been here, searching for it.”

            “There’s an inscription there,” the thief said returning from the hidden passage. “It’s been copied from that manuscript.

            Yugi and the now released knight followed him back down. “It looks like it moves,” Yugi said looking closely at the carved plaque.

            “You’re right,” the white haired thief said, once again mentally kicking himself.  _‘I can’t believe I missed that! Some thief I am!’_

            “Careful Noir,” Yugi warned, “It’s pretty old.”

            “I know that!” he shot back, trying to figure out how to move the plaque.

            “This is why we led you here,” the knight said, solemnly.

            “Huh?” was the boy’s confused response.

            “Got it!” the thief crowed and carefully slid the stone downward.


	19. Chapter 19: The Dragon of Maghreb Part 12

            “What the?” the white haired thief said after pulling out an odd brass tube.

            “That has to be at least five hundred years old!” the knight exclaimed in awe. I’m astonished that you were able to figure it out. No one has been able to decipher that plaque. Ever. Do you know what that is?”

            “There’s probably something in it,” Noir replied looking at the ancient tube. “But I can see a way to open it.”

            “Hmm… Give it here,” the knight commanded. “Just as I thought,” he said after examining the container. He took off his ring and placed it into an indentation that had been carved into the metal. There was a faint click as the knight turned the ring and the tube split open.

            “Never would have guessed that,” the thief muttered in awe.

            “So you needed a ring to open it?” Yugi asked, “Cool!”

            “This ring has been in my family for generations,” the old knight replied solemnly, “I am a direct descendent of one of the priests.”

            “More scrolls?” groaned Noir, seeing what had been put into the tube. “Better than nothing.”

            “C-Comman… der!” a much younger knight came stumbling down the stairs, blood pouring from various wounds covering his body.

            The knight rushed to his subordinate only to arrive too late as the man fell face forward onto the floor, dead.

            A sudden movement from above caught the white haired thief’s eye and his eyes widened when he realized who was coming down the stairs.

            “There you are Bakura,” came the one voice he’d thought he’d never have to hear again. “You’ve been a very naughty boy, making me look for you all this time. But you are a good guide, I’ll give you that.”

            “Ezh… dar?! You’re alive?!” Noir shouted in disbelief and horror.

            “Did you really think I’d die from such a pathetic shot as that boy?” the blue eyed man said, smirking at Yugi. The poor boy started shivering, being forced to remember all the evil man had put him through.

            “Leave this heathen to me,” the knight said, pushing the two behind him. “Take my ring and go! You have to find the treasure!”

            He then shoved them against one of the walls and to Noir and Yugi’s surprise, it swung open, causing them to stumble backwards. “There was a secret passage here?!” the thief cried as he struggled to regain his balance. Behind the now closed wall they could hear the faint sounds of clashing metal and gunfire.

            It was a few minutes later when Noir and Yugi came to another set of stairs leading up. The shorter boy was about to dash up the steps when a loud bang sounded from above and something hit the steps. Yugi cried out and jumped away from the stone stairs.

            “Damn, he found us!” Noir spat, seeing the one eyed brunet at the top of the stairs.

            “Hmm… what to do next,” mused Ezhdar, smirking like the cat who was about to get the canary. “Maybe dear Yugi’s head… or maybe yours? Noir growled, making sure he stood between the maniac and his ‘amethyst’. “Or maybe I’ll spare your lives if you come peacefully?” Noir continued to glare at his former friend, refusing to say anything or even move. “I may even let you live a bit longer if you decipher this for me,” Ezhdar said again, holding up the scroll neither of them had realized they had dropped.

            “Noir?!” Yugi hissed, seeing the thief’s hands twitch in anger.

            “Don’t be stupid Ezhdar!” the taller albino yelled, “Do you know how long the last one took?!”

            The Mafioso just smirked. He knew he had the upper hand. After all, he was the one who had the scroll now, not to mention a gun trained on the petit boy hiding behind his ‘friend’. Even if Noir did try anything, his pet would be dead within seconds.

            Said ‘friend’ sighed, realizing that there was no way out of this. Ezhdar lowered his gun, but didn’t put it away, choosing instead to keep it aimed at them in case Noir tried anything believing the brunet had his guard down.

 

*******************************************

 

            They were now back at the plaque, Noir trying his best to decipher the ancient writing engraved onto it.

            “It’s mostly like that other scroll, but these letters are weird,” the albino muttered, “They’re almost like a pattern of some kind, so what’s the rule for it?” His chocolate brown eyes furrowed in the dim light, running over the bottom part of the plaque.  _‘This part doesn’t match up’_

            “Noir, what about this?” Yugi asked, taking out the knight’s ring. “Before he told us to go, he told me that it had something to do with a seal on the treasure. I’m not sure, but I think this may be the crest of the Anjou family.”

            The taller man took the ring and surveyed the crest carved into it. “Anjou family, huh? Must have been hard for someone descended from Louis XIV to be forced to guard a place like this.”  _‘I wonder…’_  he pondered seeing that there was a similar depression set into the plaque.

            “Noir?” Yugi asked watching intently as the thief attempted to insert the ring.

            “No good, it’s too small.” He was about to hand it back to the boy when he noticed something odd about the ring.  _‘It slides?!’_  Fiddling with the ring he saw that the upper part slid partially aside, making it big enough to fit into the much larger hole. He then turned the ring which was subsequently followed by a click and cracking sound. Upon retrieving the ring, which had fallen out, Noir’s eyes widened upon seeing a name carved into the under part  _‘Charles d’Anjou?!’_

            “Hey it broke!” Yugi said, seeing that the plaque was now split in two and some kind of relief had been revealed.

            “Give me the scroll,” Noir ordered. Yugi nodded and handed him the ancient piece of paper. “It looks like this matches up with the scroll.” Placing the paper carefully onto the relief, he held it in place as he bent down and grabbed a piece of burnt wood that had been left by someone’s former torch. “I just hope I’m right about this,” he muttered as he began rubbing the wood onto the paper as gingerly and quickly as possible.

            After a couple minutes a picture of some sort had appeared upon the rubbed portion. “So I  _was_  right!” Noir crowed triumphantly, “They do match up! Cy.. clo..ps?” he said, reading the letters that had appeared next to the original ones written on the scroll. “Weird name for a church.” Yugi had to agree as he peered at the rubbing of a medieval church or was it a sanctuary of some sort?

            “Cyclops you say?” Ezhdar said, his only visible eye glittering greedily. “If I can remember correctly that’s a name of an island in the Tyrrhenian Sea. According to Greek myth the Cyclops lived on Sicily. The lava islands nearby are said to be the rocks he threw at Ulysses as he fled the island – thus the Cyclops islands.”

            “I should have known,” grumbled Noir, once again none too pleased at being outclassed intellectually.

            “Noir?” Yugi chirped, not understanding.

            “There was name carved in the ring – Charles d’Anjou. During the crusades, he was the French king who was in charge of Naples and Sicily.”

            “And?” the boy pressed, wanting to know what that had to do with the scroll.

            “You’re a noble and you  _don’t_  know?!” the white haired thief chided, “Charles d’Anjou was Louis IX’s younger brother.”

            “Oh!” he said, finally understanding, “That’s right after Louis’s death, Charles got as far as Acre which was close to Jerusalem. It was said that that was when he took the treasure of the Knights Templar and hid it somewhere on his lands. Maybe… no I’m certain that there’s still a castle that belongs to the Anjou family on Cyclops.”

            “Shall we go then?” Ezhdar said, once again reminding them of his presence. Yugi shivered at that evil voice, making the tallest of the group smirk even more sadistically. “So you’ve regained your senses have you? Makes me glad I didn’t make you take the opium until it drove you mad.”

            “Y-You bastard!” Noir growled, reaching for his whip.

            “D-Don’t!” Yugi yelled stepping in front of the albino.

            That proved to be another blunder on his part since it gave Ezhdar the opportunity to latch onto the boy and yank him away. “Let him go!” the thief demanded.

            “Still so sensitive I see,” purred the brunet as a hand snaked its way around the boy’s waist and up into his shirt. Yugi bit his lip causing drops of blood to form in a desperate attempt to prevent the moan from escaping his throat. “Like that do we?”

            “N-No,” Yugi hissed, panting slightly as the evil hand continued its lazy travels across the boy’s skin. “W-Why…”

            “Because Yugi dear, I almost died.” The spiky haired boy squeaked as he felt the man’s free hand grip his arm violently.

            “That’s enough Ezhdar!” Noir yelled, reluctantly releasing his own grip on his whip. “Don’t make me hate you anymore than I already do. You want the map and ring? Here! Just let Yugi go!”

 

************************************************************

 

            “I was sure that weird group was headed this way,” Malik said from atop the chestnut mare he had ‘borrowed’. Lavender eyes glanced worriedly over the silent ruins. “But there’s no one in sight.”

            “It’d be pretty hard to miss anyone,” his spiky haired companion said, bringing the black mare alongside the other, “This place is pretty small and hard to miss.” The older man’s crimson eyes widened in shock upon spotting something lying on the rocky sand. “Over there!”

            The blond Egyptian leapt off the horse and ran over to the prone figure. He couldn’t help but let out a tiny sigh of relief when he saw it wasn’t who he feared. “He’s… dead,” he said glumly, closing the dead knight’s eyes.

            “Those look like bullet wounds,” Atem said coming over to inspect the corpse.  _‘Just what happened here?’_  he wondered, getting an uneasy feeling. The slightly taller blond was about to ask exactly that when two figures suddenly burst from underground, startling both men.

            “Come on Yugi!” the white haired man yelled, “This is no time for fooling around!”

            The shorter, spiky haired boy ran as fast as he could only to trip on a loose stone and fall face down into the sand. Just as he struggled to get himself up, another figure leapt from the underground passage and leapt onto him, roughly pulling the boy against him.

            “Ezhdar!” both Atem and Malik shouted, not expecting the crime boss to still be alive.

            “Noir!” Yugi called, squirming in the brunet’s grasp like a worm on a hook.

            “Yugi you little idiot!” spat Noir, his eyes not matching the tone of his angry words.

            “I know your weakness, Bakura,” smirked Ezhdar, pulling the boy back into the passage. “You won’t leave this little beauty behind or have you set your sights on something other than jewels?”

            Noir growled, the sound unnerving Malik slightly for he never saw his master so angry. With the speed of a pouncing panther, he barreled into the brunet and knocked him away from the boy. The thief grabbed Yugi and practically threw him out of the passage. There was a sudden crack of a gunshot and the stone roof of the passage began to cave in.

            “Yugi!” cried Malik, catching hold of the distraught boy.

            “Bakura!” the boy’s older look alike shouted racing toward the passage.

            “I’ll be back for you,” the white haired thief swore, his chocolate brown eyes never leaving Yugi. The boy continued to struggle against the Egyptian’s hold. “Go Yugi!” he commanded. Yugi bit his lip, amethyst eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Let’s go to hell together, Ezhdar,” the thief said, unable to look at Yugi any more, less he’d try to do something stupid.

            “Bakura!” Atem called again as the passage was completely blocked off with rubble.

            “Noir!” the spiky haired boy screamed, finally breaking from Malik’s grip and dashing over to the blocked passage.

            “Damn it Bakura!” spat the private detective holding the boy back in case there was another cave in. “Bakura you idiot! There’s no way any of us can move all this.”     

            “L-Let me go!” cried Yugi, kicking at his taller look alike and causing him to reflexively let go. “Noir!” Yugi ran over to the fallen rubble and began to desperately dig at it.

            “Don’t Yugi!” Malik shouted, pulling him away, “It’s no use. There’s too much. Besides, moving any of this could cause another cave in.”

            Yugi spun around to hit the blond, but instead found himself suddenly drained of all fight. “M-Malik!” he cried and flung himself against the taller Egyptian. No one said anything as the boy sobbed his heart out.

 

*****************************************************************

 

            “Hey it’s alright,” the white haired boy said, pouting at the morose mood his little trip had taken on. “That man’s not the type to stay dead.” Malik narrowed his lavender eyes and shot him a glare that could melt the flesh off of bones.

            “Any luck?” Atem asked as a very tired and very haggard looking Yugi entered the hotel room.

            Yugi shook his head, fighting back the tears that still threatened to fall. “I…” he started, swallowing against the lump in his throat. Malik led the trembling boy to a chair and forced him to sit. Pulling his own chair closer, the Egyptian then sat down and placed a tan hand on the smaller boy’s arm.

            “I looked everywhere… even in that other passage we found, but… but…” Malik looked at the boy sympathetically.

            “It’s okay Yugi. You did your best. I’m taking him back to his room.” The blond stood and made to help the boy up only to have Yugi swat the hand away.

            “He said he be back for me,” the spiky haired boy said quietly, “I believe him. I know he’s alive! He’s got to be heading to that island… where the Knights Templar hid their treasure. Ezhdar’s probably taking him there.”

            “What island?” Noir’s cousin asked, his mood brightened at the mention of the fabled treasure.

            Malik and Atem shot the brat equal death glares. “Cyclops… near Italy,” the boy whispered.

            “If he is with that monster, I can bet any amount of money that he’ll be planning something,” Atem said placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “There’s no way he’ll work with  _him_  willingly. But I’ve never heard of any island called Cyclops.”

            “Hmm…” mused Ryou, “I do believe I remember seeing an island with that name on a chart of the Tyrrhenian Sea. If we use my ship, we could reach it in half a day from Tunisia.”

            “Good thinking,” said Atem. “Why don’t we leave tomorrow? We’re all tired.”

            “Come on Yugi,” Malik said, nodding at the detective, “Let’s get you to bed.”

            The spiky haired boy let himself be led from the chair and out Ryou’s room. Just as Malik was about to open the door to Yugi’s room, the shorter boy paused suddenly. “What is it, Yugi?” the blond asked, concerned.

            Yugi had stuffed his hands into his pockets and had felt something cold and hard in one of them. Taking his hand out, the boy gasped upon seeing the knight’s ring in his petit hand.  _‘Noir… did you…?’_ he thought, quickly shoving the ring back before anyone else could see it.

 

********************************************************************

 

            The next day found the rest of Noir’s group aboard Ryou’s ship and several miles out to sea. “That’s Sicily over there,” the white haired boy said pointing to a hazy land mass that was barely visible from the ship. “And Italy’s over there,” he said again pointing across from the Italian island.

            “That means we’re already in the Tyrrhenian Sea,” Atem said in amazement, “That sure was fast.”

            “Did you think my family’s company built run of the mill ships?” Ryou said, haughtily, “We’ve hired only the best shipwrights around. Ours are the best in the latest high-speed ships.”

            “Whatever,” mumbled Malik, not at all impressed by the brat’s boasting.

            “So where is it?” the albino asked, pouting. “Shouldn’t we be able to see it by now?”

            “I-Is that it?” Yugi asked, pointing to a rock formation off the other side of the deck.

            “Where?! Let me see!” Ryou shouted, shoving the poor boy aside as he ran over to the opposite side. Once, confirming that it was indeed an island, the white haired boy then began rushing about shouting orders for the captain to head straight for it.

             _‘So that’s where Noir’ll be,’_ Yugi said to himself, peering at the forbidding looking Island that was getting closer by the second.

            “It’s like a fortress,” Malik said peering over the deck railing at the lone ancient structure of Cyclops Island. “There’s nothing but that castle.”

            “It’s been said that it was used as a military base during the Crusades and eventually people forgot about it,” Ryou said, joining the blond, “According to rumors, it was even a pirate base at one time, but I’m certain it’s totally abandoned now.”

 

 

~TBC~


	20. Chapter 20: The Dragon of Maghreb Part 13

            “Wow this place is huge!” the spiky haired boy said in awe as they looked around the ancient castle for Noir. “Why don’t we climb one of those watch towers so we can get a better look?”

            He started to head for the nearest tower when his taller and older look alike jerked him back. “Hide!” he hissed upon hearing footsteps and drawing them deeper into the shadows. Yugi shook nervously, not wanting to be caught by ‘that man’ again.

            “Why didn’t you tell us there were people here?!” the blond Egyptian hissed back at the detective.

            Atem said nothing as he watched men scurry past them, grateful that luck was on their side and yet to be spotted. “Those were definitely the Black Hand… Ezhdar’s men,” he finally said once it was safe, “So he’s alive after all.”

            The white haired boy who had been leaning against a patch of wall that had been poorly repaired over the long years suddenly let out a gasp as he felt the wall behind him give way, several stones clattering to the floor loudly.

            “Who’s there?!” shouted one of the men, turning around and causing his comrades to follow.

            “Just what are you doing?!” Atem hissed in anger.

            “Way to go clutz!” added Malik

            “Hmph!” Noir’s cousin spat indignantly, “In case you haven’t noticed, this place is falling apart!”

            “Quit it!” ordered Yugi, surprising them by the sudden aggressiveness, “Now’s not the time for this! We’ve gotta run!”

            “Hold it right there!” cried one of the Black Hand, having spotted them.

            Noir’s would be rescuers dashed down the hall, the thugs hot on their heels. “This way!” Malik said, turning around a corner that could have easily been missed in the dim light. They startled at the sudden loud crack of a gun going off. Malik winced as he felt something bite hard into his shoulder. Desperately trying to shake off the blinding pain, he failed to notice the figure looming at the end of the new hall and promptly crashed into it.

            “Malik!” Ryou cried, also failing to see the figure smirking at them. “You ok?”

            “It’s noth…” The Egyptian froze like a deer caught in a car’s headlights.  _‘Oh no! Ezhdar!’_ he moaned silently, realizing they were doomed now.        

            “Malik?” the white haired boy whimpered, feeling just as uneasy as his blond companion. That single blue eye unnerved him immensely.

            “Where is he?!” shouted Malik, pounding at the mob boss’s chest futilely, “Where’s Noir?!”

            “He fell into the sea,” was all the evil man said, never ceasing to be amused at the shorter blond’s shock and pain.

            Malik had reached the end of his rope. Now that the news of Noir’s possible death had been added to the never ending pain in his shoulder along with the slowly seeping red fluid, his overly stressed body could no longer hold him up. The last he saw was a grinning Ezhdar and that single soul piercing icy blue eye.

            “Malik!” Ryou yelled, dashing forward and catching the slightly taller boy before he crashed into the hard, cold stone floor.

            “Malik!” Yugi cried from another branching hall that the Egyptian had missed due to the pain.

            “I know how you feel,” Atem whispered, holding the distraught boy back, “but don’t be a fool Yugi. Malik would never forgive you if you let yourself get caught too.” Yugi hung his head in defeat, knowing that his taller look alike was right. Once he saw the boy wasn’t about to do anything rash, Atem led him further into the castle.

            “Sorry boss,” a thug said, carefully approaching the tall brunet. “The other two got away.” That earned a glare from Ezhdar, causing him to nearly make a mess right there and then. “Get after them you idiots!” the thug bellowed at his fellows and scurried off along with them.

 

*********************************************************

 

             _‘Noir can’t be dead!’_   Yugi silently cried as he desperately tried to keep up with his older look alike.  _‘You said you’d come back for me! You always… came back. Please don’t let that be true! It can’t be!’_

            Meanwhile, Atem’s thoughts were on a completely different subject.  _‘Damn that bastard’s goons are here too,’_  he swore, ducking back into the shadows. He was about to yank his smaller companion away as well when said companion let out a gasp as he felt someone grab onto him and pull him into the shadows.

            “Yugi!” Atem hissed, drawing his gun and aiming at the hidden figure.

            “Whoa, not so fast,” the boy’s captive said releasing Yugi but making sure the boy was hidden in the shadows and out of sight of Ezhdar’s men.

             _‘I-It can’t be!’_   Yugi thought, not believing his ears.  _‘That voice! It’s...’_

            “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten about me already,” the man whispered stepping out of the shadows, his silvery white hair glowing in the dim light. He couldn’t help smirk a little at their shocked faces.

            Yugi felt an immense rage rise up in him.  _‘I don’t believe him!’_  he silently fumed.  _‘How dare he make me think he died!’_   Before any of them knew what was going on, there was a loud smack of flesh hitting flesh as Yugi’s tightly clenched fist struck the thief’s face. “Why didn’t you tell us you were still alive!” the boy shouted, tears streaming down his anger reddened cheeks.

            “You didn’t have to hit me,” groused Noir, rubbing his aching cheek, “Yeesh you’re violent when you get mad.”

            “Serves you right,” Yugi humphed, jerking his head away and pouting, “I thought you were dead…  _he_ said…”

            “Dummy,” the white haired thief scolded jokingly as he ruffled Yugi’s soft spikes, “You should know by now I don’t die so easily. Besides, you haven’t paid back what you owe me yet.”

            “I should have known that’s all you’d care about,” the shortest of the three grumbled, “See if I worry about again you heartless bastard.”

             _‘It’s like they’re in their own little world,’_  Atem mused,  _‘I’d hate to interrupt them, but this isn’t exactly the safest place to be right now.’_

            “Guys,” Atem started, but neither of his companions paid attention.

            “Oh ho, you  _were_  worried about me weren’t you?” teased Noir.

            “Bastard!” spat Yugi turning away again, but he really was relieved the thief was alive. He didn’t know what he’d do if Noir were really dead.

            “So how did you…” Atem asked stepping between the thief and Yugi to get the slightly taller man’s attention.

            “If that bastard Ezhdar believed I died, then he’d lighten up on the security around here. I snuck in right under his nose. I knew you’d chase after us. Anyway, do you have that ring Yugi?”

            “Here!” the boy grumbled, still miffed and shoved the knight’s ring into Noir’s face.

            “Good boy. You keep it for now, that’s our trump card.”

            “Just what are you up to Bakura?” Atem asked, eyeing the thief suspiciously.

            “I’ve got a score to settle… by myself. This ends with my own two hands.”

            “Wait!” Yugi called as Noir headed back into the shadows and depths of the castle.

            “Stay out of this Yugi,” he hissed, shoving Yugi back toward Atem, “This is  ** _my_**  problem. I won’t let anyone get in my way, even if it’s you.” With that he disappeared into the castle.

 

*****************************************************

           

            “You won’t get away with this!” screamed Ryou. He had been tied up along with the blond Egyptian whose injury had stopped bleeding only because the fabric of his shirt was now glued to the wound and keeping the flow at bay. “The world will know of your foul deeds Kaiba!”

            “Hey boss, ya want us ta shut ‘em up?” one of the brunet’s thugs asked, fingering his gun eagerly.

            “Leave them alone,” Ezhdar snapped, “We need them to lure out the other rats we seem to have attracted. There’ll be plenty of time for that later. Now get your lazy asses moving and hurry up!” The thugs then scurried about and went to do whatever it was they’d been assigned to do.

            Ezhdar ignored the hustling going on around him and pulled out a rather ancient piece of paper.  _‘According to this,’_  he said, his single visible eye pouring over the map drawn on it,  _‘There should be a secret door in this chapel – modeled after Solomon’s temple.’_

            He began searching along with a few of his men and came upon two enormous pillars that were set aside from the others that were aligned at the chapel’s entrance.  _‘This is it,’_  he almost cried out in his excitement.  _‘These are the pillars of Jachin and Boaz. The door should be… yes!’_  The outline of a hidden door could be faintly seen in the torchlight.

            “You find something boss?”

            He slipped the knight’s ring into the barely visible depression and turned it. Nothing. No creaking of ancient neglected hinges, no unexpected booby traps. Absolutely nothing.

            “Bring those two over here,” Ezhdar demanded, furious that he’d been duped.

            “If you’re going to kill us, just get it over with!” snapped Malik, glaring at the thug latched onto his uninjured arm.

            “Malik,” Ryou whispered in shock. Was he really that willing to die? In a place like this?!

            “Such bravery,” sneered the taller brunet. “That boss of yours is really something,” the brunet said, leering over the blond, “He actually managed to trick me for once in his pathetic life. I can’t believe I let him make a fool of me with this fake!” He then threw the false ring to the floor with such force that it bounced slightly before rolling off into the distance.

            “Alright, I think you’ve gotten far enough,” Ezhdar said glaring at the henchman still holding onto Malik. “Take that stupid disguise off. I should have known you’d sneak yourself in with my men Bakura.”

            “Now who’s ‘really something’?” the man said ripping off the costume to reveal the white haired thief. “You really don’t miss a thing Ezhdar.” He jumped out of the way when one of Ezhdar’s men fired a shot at him, pulling Malik out of the way with him.

            “Hold still Malik I’ll get you untied,” the thief said, poking at the knot with the barrel of his gun.

            “Y-You’re alive Noir!” the Egyptian cried in a mixture of joy, relief, and disbelief.

            There was another gunshot, which missed of course, and Noir shoved the blond toward the chapel entrance. “Run!” he ordered, “I’ll keep them busy here.”

            Malik looked between the entrance and his master, unsure of what to do. He knew he should do as told and run, but he couldn’t bear to tear himself away, fearful for the white haired man’s safety.

            Ezhdar growled and aimed his gun at the still hesitating Egyptian. Noir let out a growl of his own and put all his might into one bone shattering kick. The brunet let out a shout of pain, dropping the gun, his hand aching immensely. He was lucky that that kick hadn’t actually broken any bones.

            “Nice try  _old friend_ ,” Ezhdar hissed venomously as two thugs quickly latched themselves onto the now glaring and struggling Malik.

            “Damn!” the thief snapped back.

            “Now be a good boy and give me the real ring.” Noir spat at his former friend’s smirking face.

            “You want it, you can have it!” cried Yugi barging into the chapel.

            “Yugi!” scolded Malik, angry to see the boy he’d come to see as a friend or even a younger brother put himself in danger. Yet again.      

            “You can have the ring, but let them go first!”

            “You damned idiot!” bellowed Noir, utterly furious now, “Why did you have to be so damned reckless?!”    

            He made his way to an old arrow slit and held the ring out over the pounding sea below. “You’d better let them go,” he warned, praying his fear of the man wouldn’t be easily seen on his face. His nails dug into the skin of his palm making sure he wouldn’t drop the ring due to the uncontrollable shaking of his hand. “or I’ll drop it. That water looks pretty rough down there, it’ll be pretty hard to find one little ring.”

            “Yugi watch out!” Noir cried, seeing that the now irate brunet was now hell bent on charging the boy. Poor Yugi just stood there like a scared rabbit unable to move. He flinched as the sudden whoosh and crack of the thief’s whip sailed by him.

            While the two once friends were busy fighting, one of Ezhdar’s thugs decided to sneak up behind the white haired thief with a raised piece of lead piping. Seeing that his master was about to get the drop put on him, Malik bulldozed himself into the much larger man. The two went down in a tangled heap of limbs, both struggling not to only untangle themselves, but to gain possession of the now dropped lead pipe. The Egyptian finally managed to grab hold of the discarded weapon and conked the thug soundly on the back of the head, knocking the criminal out cold.

            “Malik!” Ryou whined, both grateful and angry at the same time for being ignored. “Untie me already!” The blond glared at Noir’s look alike cousin, but quickly and begrudgingly rushed to fulfill the whiny brat’s request.

            “You’re hurt!” Yugi gasped noticing the red staining his hand when he had grabbed onto the thief’s arm.

            “Forget about it! Just run already!” Noir shouted, forcing the boy to stumble in the opposite direction from the steadily advancing Ezhdar. The white haired thief then deftly dodged yet another pistol shot from the brunet’s gun.

            “Noir! It’s a dead end this way!” the boy called.

            “Use the ring!” Noir shouted back, desperately trying to ignore the pain of his wound while staying one step ahead of the Mafioso. “Put it in that hole in the wall!” he instructed once he saw where he had shoved Yugi to.

            Remembering what the older man had done back at the ruined church in Tunisia, Yugi hurriedly twisted the ring open then rammed it into the depression Ezhdar had tried to open scant minutes earlier.

            “Hurry Yugi!” Noir called again dodging another bullet.

            “My hand’s slipping!” the boy yelled, barely able to keep his hand steady as he hurried to turn the ring. There was a faint click like the last time and he thanked whoever was listening as the hidden door swung open, though with quite an amount of protest due to lack of maintenance.

            Seeing his escape, Noir dashed over to the spiky haired boy and pulled him along as he ran through the now opened hidden passage.

            “Noir!” Malik shouted hurrying after his master, barely making it as the door started to shut itself.

            “Malik don’t be a fool!” Atem protested, having finally reached the chapel after chasing down his reckless look alike. He had been about to latch onto the blond when the door finally shut firmly, separating the group yet again.

            “It won’t budge!” Ryou whined, trying to figure out how it had opened in the first place. 

            Noir winced as the pain of his wound finally won the battle for attention now that Ezhdar was out of the way. “You need to get that treated!” Yugi said, worried for the thief for the umpteenth time.

            “I said to forget about it,” griped Noir, “Quit being such a worry-wart.”      

            “But…”

            “Yugi!”

            The boy let out a terrified squeak as he felt himself yet again grabbed from behind.

            “What I’d like to know is,” said Ezhdar, making sure his little prize couldn’t get away this time no matter how much he’d struggle, “when did you get so soft Bakura?”

            “Let him go you bastard!” The white haired man didn’t wait for the Mafioso to respond. He sprang at the much taller man and managed to land a punch to Ezhdar’s gut, causing the man to stagger back loosing his grip on the boy slightly.

            “Must you insist on resisting me to the very end, Bakura?” the brunet queried tiredly.

            Noir’s chocolate brown eyes narrowed and darkened to almost pure black coals. He was beyond furious now. This monster had dared touch not to mention threaten what was his for the last and final time. Much like an angry viper, he struck out with his whip with lightning speed.

            Yugi let out a startled cry as he found himself up against the wall. “You’re in the way,” growled Ezhdar after casting the boy aside like a rag doll. “Now die by your own incompetence!” he snarled cocking his gun and raising it toward the thief’s head.

             _‘Great, just great,’_  Noir grumbled, finding himself unable to keep himself steady due to the increasing blood loss of his wound.  _‘I’m starting to fade here.’_  The thief started slightly when he heard the gunshot, but felt no pain, no sudden loss of life.

            “I can’t believe I missed!” groused Malik, pouting. The Egyptian squeaked and jumped away as Ezhdar brought out his own whip and lashed at his would be assassin, snatching the gun away from his tan hand.

            “Malik,” Noir moaned, stumbling toward the blond, concerned.       

            “Stay there Noir!” Malik shouted, seeing that his master had been wounded pretty badly. “Don’t move!”

            Using the distraction, the taller brunet for the umpteenth time that day, fired a bullet. It ricocheted off the stone walls and grazed the Egyptian’s foot as it went flying by. “That hurt,” whined the blond. He was about to spout quite a few colorful curses at Ezhdar when a moan by the wall drew his attention. Choosing to chew out the brunet another time, he rushed over to Yugi’s side.

            “Noi…” the shortest one began.

 

************************************************************

 

            “Would you believe it?” Atem said coughing as he and Noir’s cousin made their way through the enormous amount of dust the detective had caused. “All I had to do was kick that door hard enough and it crumbles like paper.”

            “Well, this place has been exposed to sea air for seven hundred years,” Ryou quipped annoyedly, “So of course it would deteriorate.”

            “Whatever. Let’s go, that sounded like a gunshot just now.”

            Ryou’s eyes widened at the shorter man’s words, “You’d better be okay Malik,” he whispered under his breath.

            It wasn’t long before they were able to catch up with the others. Atem dashed over to the slumped thief while, said thief’s cousin rushed over to Malik.

            “Are you okay?” they both asked their respective targets.

            “Ezhdar!” Noir cried, spotting the brunet running off deeper into the passage.

 

 

~TBC~


	21. Chapter 21: The Dragon of Maghreb Part 14

            The white haired thief let out a curse as they made their way after the one eyed brunet. “Yugi?” the boy’s slightly taller look alike asked, noticing him glance worriedly at the thief. Yugi said nothing, ignoring Atem. He couldn’t bear seeing the thief force himself while injured, but the boy knew that this would never end if they didn’t do something and fast.

            “You’re hurt!” Ryou gasped, seeing that the blond Egyptian was trying his best to hide the limp.

            “It’s nothing!” the tanned boy protested, batting the albino’s insistent hands away. “That bastard just grazed my foot, is all.”

            “Malik…” he tried again.

            “I’m really pathetic aren’t I?” the Egyptian asked, smiling sadly, “Some follower I am, letting myself sprain my ankle like that.”

            “Malik,” Ryou said, placing a hand on the slightly taller blond’s shoulder, “What you did was really brave. I think it’s a great thing you’d lay down your life for someone you love like that.” Malik blinked then blushed profusely.

            “Ezhdar!” Noir shouted upon catching up to the man. “What’s so special about that treasure that you’d go so far? I know not it’s not just the money.”

            “Now what would that be indeed?” the taller brunet sneered.

            “Enough stalling! Tell me!”

            “Come now Bakura, don’t tell me you don’t know. After all who wouldn’t want  _‘that’_?! There isn’t a soul on earth who could stand against it.”

            “Just what the hell are you trying to say!”      

            The brunet grinned like Carroll’s Cheshire Cat. “You’ll find out soon enough. The last seal is just up ahead.”

            And sure enough they came to another relief of the temple of Solomon, a small depression set into it. Ezhdar pulled out the knight’s ring and proceeded to insert it then turned it. There was a faint metallic clicking and the wall surrounding the relief rose to reveal…

            “At last! The treasure vault!” The brunet’s visible eye blazed with lust and greed and headed into the vast room, pulling the thief with him, determined to keep the albino, to make him see he all he did was right.”

            “T-The door’s closing!” Yugi yelled as the heavy stone door gave an annoyed groan and slowly began to lower itself to close off the treasure vault once more.

            “It’s probably a defense mechanism,” Atem said, getting worried himself and grabbing onto the boy firmly lest he do anything rash – which he was prone to. “It probably gets triggered if someone steps onto the floor in there.”

            Yugi let out an anguished cry and broke from the detective’s hold letting the adrenaline push him forward toward the now rapidly closing door.

            “Yugi!” both Atem and Noir yelled.

            “Don’t be an idiot!” the thief scolded.

            The detective made to grab the petit boy, but Yugi proved to be quicker and at the last moment, slid under the door as it finally shut.

            “M-Made it,” panted the boy, struggling to get up now that the rush had worn off.

            Noir glared at the boy and promptly slapped him. “YOU IDIOT!” he bellowed, “Why do you always have to be so reckless! You could have been crushed!”

            Yugi sniffled at the taller man’s harsh words, but refused to cry. “I-I couldn’t leave you with him,” he stammered, “Not when you’re hurt!”

            The white haired thief stared at the boy for a few scant seconds then jerked his head away. “Hmph. Fine. Just give me your shoulder.”

            Yugi wiped at his eyes hurriedly and obeyed, getting a shock when the thief slumped against the wall and pulled him with him. They were now sitting against the wall, Noir’s head on the boy’s shoulder. Yugi couldn’t help blushing at the thief’s uncharacteristic affection.

            Meanwhile, the cause of their current trouble was now laughing maniacally and dashing around the chamber like a whirling dervish.  _‘It’s all mine!’_ the brunet silently crowed,  _‘I finally found the treasure of Solomon!’_

            “Never in my entire life have I seen so much,” Noir whispered, ignoring the madman for now; there was no point in confronting Ezhdar if he couldn’t get out either. “This has to be at least two-thousand years worth of treasure.”

            “Noir? What’s that sound?” the spiky haired boy asked, hearing a low rushing sound. Then it hit him when he saw several rivulets of water start to flow into the chamber. “Water’s coming in through the cracks!”

            “Well, Bakura,” Ezhdar gloated, clutching a wrapped bundle to his chest. “I got what I came for so, my business is finished here. Besides, this place will be underwater soon. Really clever of them, to do that. That way any infidels after the treasure will be dealt with. You see, the only one allowed to leave is the one who is ‘worthy of the ring’.” He sneered at the fallen thief and held up the knight’s ring. “Sorry,  _old friend,_  but that’s how the world works.”

            Noir growled, too weak due to the blood loss from the bullet wound in his shoulder to strike against the taller brunet. “I’m a merciful man,” Ezhdar said again inserting the ring and opening the door. “I’ll give you another chance, though you don’t deserve it. Leave the brat and come with me. Either that or die here.”

            “Just go already you bastard!” Noir spat, “But let Yugi go. He had nothing to do with any of this.”

            “I’m not going!” Yugi protested, planting himself firmly against the wall, refusing to budge. “It’s my fault I’m in here. I’m the one who chose to go after you! So no matter what, I’m…”

            “For crying out loud,” Noir groaned, “Stop that whining, brat.”

            “You always were a fool, Bakura,” scoffed Ezhdar, “But if that’s what you want, then I’ll let you and the boy have your double suicide.”

            “Well, you’d better start hoping you don’t die like a dog when you’re halfway out,” jeered Noir.

            The brunet humphed one last time and strode through the door. And as like before, the door shut closed with a heavy thud.

            “You idiot!” Yugi shouted, “Why?! You could have gotten out!” Seeing that the thief wasn’t listening or even moving. “Noir!” he cried fearfully, “Noir, hold on! Noir!” he cried, shaking the taller man, desperate for any kind of response.

            “Sorry kid,” the thief muttered groggily, “Must have blacked out for a second.”

            “You’re loosing a lot of blood,” the boy said, frowning at the large wet stain on the man’s jacket. “Get those off so I can stop the bleeding.”

            “Face it Yugi,” Noir replied grimly, “Pretty soon you won’t have to worry about my losing blood once this place floods.”

            “I don’t care!” he retorted, “Even if there’s the tiniest possibility, I’m going to do anything I can. Even if you think it’s useless, besides it’s better than leaving with regrets.”

            The white haired man chuckled darkly. “You’re such a little imbecile. The dead aren’t able to have regrets.” He raised a weak hand, cupping the boy’s chin. He turned Yugi’s head to face his. “I was right all along,” he said gazing into the boy’s tear filled eyes. “Those amethysts are the most beautiful thing in the world. Even more so than any of this junk.”

            Yugi’s face was red as the reddest ruby.  _‘I don’t believe him! We’re about to die here and he thinks about that!’_

Seeing that the spiky haired boy was distracted, Noir seized his chance and crushed his lips against Yugi’s. Yugi’s eye’s widened and his mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water before finally relaxing and leaning into the rough kiss.

 

***********************************************************

 

 

            “What’s going on in there?” the spiky haired detective muttered as he paced back and forth in front of the sealed door. “Bakura! Yugi! Can you hear me?” he shouted once again, but it would appear that the stone door was too thick for anyone to hear anything from either side. He desperately placed his ear to the door and furrowed his brow upon hearing a strange and faint rushing sound.  _‘Water?! This can’t be good!’_

            He was about to try pounding on the stubborn door one more time when the stone structure began to protest once more as it slowly began to open. Getting an uneasy feeling in his gut, Atem motioned for Malik and Ryou to hide in one of the labyrinthine side passages and quickly ducked out of sight himself.

            Three pairs of eyes watched as the door creaked loudly and a figure stepped through. Malik was hard pressed to keep himself from charging the taller brunet as he continued to laugh like a maniac as he triggered the mechanism to close off the chamber once more. “Ha! Ha! I finally have it!” he crowed, clutching the small bundle close to his chest. I have the ultimate symbol of power! The cup that caught Christ’s blood, the Holy Grail! Those who hold the grail can rule the world!”

            The brunet began to strut down the passage, still laughing and muttering to himself. “That idiot never realized that this was the true treasure of the Knights Templar. What do you say now Bakura you insignificant little…” he startled upon hearing a crash from behind. The man’s single blue eye darted around frantically only to see nothing. Assuming that it was probably his former friend’s final attempt at escape, he continued on his way. “It looks like I won’t be sharing the world with you after all,” he sneered before going back into another laughing fit. “But at least I’ll finally get my revenge against fate!”

            Ezhdar failed to see the glaring blond as he past the side passage. It was too late when he heard the Egyptian’s snarled war cry. In a matter of seconds, the Mafioso found himself crashing up against the wall and through it – it apparently had been worn thin like most of the castle due to prolonged exposure to the sea air – and plummeting to the churning waters below.

            He let out an enraged scream, still clutching onto the wrapped bundle. Malik stood with a sense of satisfaction as the brunet’s body hit a group of jagged rocks before disappearing below the angry waves, never to be seen again.

 

***********************************************************

 

            Meanwhile, Yugi was desperately trying to stay afloat as the water had begun to swirl and churn until it became a whirlpool. His amethyst eyes darted about frantically, searching for the thing he treasured most.  _‘Noir where are you!’_ he called silently, praying that he’d find the albino thief quickly.  _‘Noir!’_  he called again upon spotting the taller man not too far below him, being sucked like he was into the depths of the whirlpool.

            Knowing that he only had seconds, the boy plunged headfirst into the spiraling water and made his way to the drifting thief. He began pulling on the man’s arm, but found that no matter how much he pulled, he lacked the skill and strength to free them from the deadly ride they had been sucked into.  _‘He’s too heavy,’_  Yugi thought forlornly. It took all of his remaining strength to keep both their heads above the water’s surface.  _‘You can’t die on me! I won’t let you! Even if I lose my own life!’_

The spiky haired boy clung to the albino, making sure that he was the one who was further up the spiral than him in hopes of prolonging his life a bit longer. He was glad they were together.  _‘At least I won’t be alone,’_  he thought morosely as his waning strength had finally given out.  _‘It’s beautiful,’_  he mused as his tired eyes watched the treasure glitter about them as it too followed them into the churning waters.  _‘It’s like I’m being sucked into heaven’s light.’_

Yugi’s eyes fluttered closed as he surrendered to the fatigue and embrace of the ocean, his arms never letting go of his most precious treasure.

 

******************************************************************

 

             _‘I hear… the ocean!’_  the white haired man thought as he groggily sat up and shook the fuzziness out of his head.  _‘Where am I?’_  Glancing around he found he had somehow managed to survive drowning and had washed up in some kind of grotto somewhere. There was plenty of air for sunlight shone down through a myriad of cracks in the grotto’s ceiling.

            He winced slightly, rubbing his still aching shoulder. He gave the wounded limb a cursory glare, noticing that the fabric of his clothes had stuck to the wound and was now keeping from anymore blood from escaping. “Yugi!” he said, suddenly remembering he hadn’t been alone before blacking out. “Where are you Yugi?!” he called.

            The white haired thief searched anxiously around the dim light and let out the breath he hadn’t known he had been holding. The boy lay a few feet away from him, equally soaked from the sea water. “Yugi!” he shouted when the boy made no attempt to move. He let out a sigh of relief upon seeing the smaller one’s chest moving in a steady rhythm. He gingerly laid a hand on Yugi’s shoulder and gently began to shake him. The boy murmured sleepily, but after a couple more shakes he began to sit up.  _‘Thank god you’re alive. Little idiot,’_  Noir thought as he helped the boy with his struggling. “So you awake now?”

            “N-Noir!” Yugi cried, overjoyed to see the thief still in the land of the living. “We… we’re alive! But… how?!”

            The taller man gave a small smile as he pulled the boy into his lap, making Yugi ‘eep’ rather cutely. “The walls were probably eroded enough for the water to break through them completely,” he said wrapping his arms around the boy. Yugi leant against Noir’s chest, grateful for the man’s comfort as well as the slight body heat. “and we must have been washed up here, wherever that is.” The two were silent for several minutes, not knowing how to go about their current situation, nor did they care at the moment. They were just too relieved at seeing the other alive and relatively well.

            “Look,” the thief said, pointing to the deep pool before them.

            Yugi gazed in awe at the meager light glistening off the gently moving water. “W-Wow!” he cried, “It’s like the water’s made up dozens of blue gems!”

            “It looks like the ocean stole the temple’s treasure instead of us,” Noir said after a few more moments of silence. “Though there’re too many ‘gems’ for the both of us to carry,” he added with a low chuckle.

            Yugi only smiled, content to be held in the man’s strong arms. “I’d rather have you anyway,” he whispered to himself. Noir ruffled the boy’s hair, equally content to just sit there and hold his precious ‘amethyst’ in his arms.

 

*************************************************************

 

            A few days later, the group had gathered at a hotel in Naples. It turned out that the grotto Yugi and Noir had washed up in was really an underground cave on one of the neighboring islands not to far from the castle. Noir had somehow managed to set up a signal fire and Ryou immediately sent the ship to investigate as soon as Malik’s keen eyes had spotted it.

            “What is he up to now?” Noir grumbled as he watched his cousin conversing with the Egyptian while they ate at a separate table out on the suite’s balcony. The blond would blush every now and then whenever the smaller albino would pass a bit of food. As if sensing his cousin’s glare, Ryou carefully sent a smug look over to the thief while the blond was distracted. Noir continued to glare at the smaller of the two albinos, not one to be outdone at the staring contest.

            “No fair Malik!” Yugi shouted from the table inside the suite, defusing a potentially violate argument, “You’ve got all the clams!” he whined, pouting at the meager amount of shelled fish on his plate.

            The Egyptian laughed. “Well that’s because I’m injured!” he said – his ankle still hurt from where Ezhdar had grazed it. “I need to get my strength back.” Yugi pouted again and shot an envious glare at the blond.

            “So, Ezhdar…” Noir began, ignoring the silent argument between the two younger boys.

            “Is most probably dead,” Atem finished for him, smiling at the rather amusing glaring contest between his smaller look alike and the blond. “It’s true we never found his body or the ship he had used to get there, but there’s no way anyone could have survived falling onto a bunch of sharp rocks then into rough water like that.”

            “Yeah,” the slightly taller thief replied sullenly. He still felt the pain of his once friend’s betrayal. “You’re leaving?” he asked when the spiky haired detective rose from his seat.

            “I’ve got a lot of other cases I need to look into,” Atem replied, “Thanks for the pizza by the way.” He paused at the door and turned to look at the thief. “You know, you’re one complex guy.” Noir stared at him in utter confusion. “By the way Malik!” he called. Said Egyptian looked up from his plate of clams. “You really should be more careful. You’ve been calling him ‘Noir’. Constantly.” The blond sputtered, causing several bits of clam meat to go flying across the balcony and into the room. “Just kidding. Ciao!” he said giving the startled blond a friendly wave before finally leaving the suite and going to his own room.

            “T-That hack!” Malik yelled, gritting his teeth.

            “Malik,” Yugi started.

            “Can you believe that jerk?!” the blond continued to fume.

            “Um…” Ryou interjected in utter confusion, “What did he mean by calling Bakura ‘Noir’?”

            “Ah!” Malik cried, jolted out of his rant against spiky haired hack gumshoes, “No-Nothing! Nothing at all!” he said laughing nervously.

            The shorter albino looked at the blond Egyptian skeptically, but shrugged it off. “Say, Malik,” he said scooting his chair a bit closer to Malik’s, “why don’t you and I go on a cruise around the Mediterranean once your ankle heals? I’d make sure you’d have a wonderful time.”

            “I-I’ll think about it,” Malik said hastily and dashed into the depths of the suite, muttering something about the bathroom or something.

            “Malik seems to kinda like your cousin,” Yugi said noticing the bright tomato red blush on the blond’s face as he had raced by.

            “Who cares,” Noir groused grumpily, “Malik’s a big boy, he can do what he wants.” Yugi smiled. After being with the thief for so long, he knew the albino’s harsh tone was only half serious. “Besides now I owe a debt to that brat,” he added with contempt, “we lost all that treasure and I got stepped on, shot, whipped, kicked and not to mention drowned.”

            Yugi looked down guiltily, playing with something in his hands. “W-Would this help?” he asked after gathering the courage to look up at the taller man. Noir’s eyes bugged out at the large blue gem cupped carefully in the boy’s delicate hands.

            “That’s!”

            “I managed to grab it before… I thought it was really pretty so… it’s a sapphire right? I really don’t know much about gems.”

            Noir couldn’t help but smile at the boy’s simple gesture. He really was cute sometimes. “Thanks, but I don’t think it’ll be of any help,” he said pushing the gem away gently, “You keep it. Think of it as a souvenir.”

            “Oh,” Yugi said crestfallenly. “I was sure it’d help. It’s still pretty though.”

            Noir smiled as he nodded in agreement. “Bakura,” Ryou called, waving his cousin over. Noir sighed, catching the knowing look in his smaller look alike’s eyes. “That was a blue diamond wasn’t it? Big ones like that are so common, from what I was able to see, I’d say that that was almost as big as the Hope Diamond. Still it’d be worth  **several** fortunes.”

            “Don’t you dare say a word!” the thief hissed, the look in his eyes promising unending pain if his cousin ever did. “Don’t you dare let Yugi find out or I’ll tell Malik about all those fun mistakes I had to help you with in the past.”

            “Y-You villain!” Ryou hissed back, fuming that he’d just been blackmailed by the thief. Again.

             _‘That diamond alone is enough for Yugi to repay his debt in full, and then some. He’d be free of me,’_  Noir said to himself,  _‘That’s why I have to make sure he **NEVER**  finds out!’_

            “I’m going to take a nap,” the thief said heading toward his part of the suite, “Don’t any of you dare bug me!”

            “Hey Noir!” Yugi said running up to him, “If you look through it like this,” He held up the diamond before them, “It looks just like the water we saw in that cave!”

            “Yes it does,” the thief agreed, ruffling the boy’s hair, “Where the temple’s treasure is sleeping.”

            “You’re probably right.”

            Noir scooped the boy up into his arms causing him to ‘eep’ in surprise. He then proceeded to his room, daring his cousin to say anything. Ryou blinked a few times and then shot the thief a knowing look when the shock had worn off. He had had some ideas as to the boy’s relationship with his cousin, but to actually see it confirmed before him like that still gave him quite a shock.

            The white haired boy glanced at them wistfully as Noir placed a chaste kiss on the boy’s forehead before disappearing further into the suite.

 

 

~Fin~


End file.
